Soon after the storm, my husband and son got out the chainsaw and cut the limb into manageable-sized pieces and stacked them up. It looks like a bonfire is in our near future. Now all that was left was to clean up were the blooms, sticks, and dirt from the porch. I really didn’t want to do it. It was such a mess! I kind of hoped the boys would do it for me. But apparently they felt it was more important to catch some fish to fry…perhaps the same day we have our bonfire. J
Every time I would sweep an area clean, the wind would blow a dirty mess right back into the spot I had JUST cleaned! My hair was swirling around my face, into my eyes and mouth, there was dirt flying everywhere. Can I tell you…I was just a LITTLE frustrated! But I just kept angrily sweeping and the wind just kept mockingly blowing.
But you know what I noticed? Eventhough it didn’t feel like I was making any headway on that porch, each time I went back and reswept that same spot, it helped. Maybe the change was small and perhaps it didn’t last long, but it WAS visible. So even if I had to clean the same spot twenty times, eventually, the whole porch DID come clean. The only thing I had to do was to ensure that I never gave up trying. I knew what needed to be done and, despite whatever setbacks the wind may have blown into my path, I just kept going right back and doing what needed to be done.
But, you know…every time I did it, the setbacks would occur less and less often and I would have longer periods of victory in between. God takes some struggles from us instantaneously and we never return to them again. For me, it was smoking. He took the desire from me and I never wanted another cigarette after that. But there were lots of other things through which He took me via a longer, more involved process.
So why didn’t God just “poof” me into permanent victory over everything in my life? Well, isn’t it just like us to want someone else to do all the work? But beyond the pure laziness factor, I believe it’s because God is never just doing one thing at a time. The Original Multitasker, Who can see the beginning AND the end, is doing EVERYTHING all at once. Not only was God freeing me from the messy sins in my life but, at the same time, He was teaching me patience and resilience and how to overcome disappointment and how to walk in faith. It’s through these longer processes that we learn the valuable skills we need to be able to live in long-term victory.
So whatever you’re doing, whatever you’re going through, just keep allowing God the access He needs to clean-up those dirty places in your life. Don’t try to hide the mess; He already knows its there. Just be honest, ask for His help, be ready to do your part, and stay out of His way so He can do His part. And, finally, always remember, no matter how long it takes or how many times you fail, He will never give up on you as long as you never give up on Him. He is not surprised by your learning curve or the pace at which you are growing. He is your Father and He is your Friend. He will always love you and He will always be there when you need Him and, at some point, you’re going to look in the mirror and you’ll no longer see that dirty mess. You’ll only see the wonder-working power of our mighty God.
220 Gal 