Beautiful, Dangerous Prayers

"Search me, God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting."

Psalm 139:23-24

We're at that stage of preparing our house for showings. We've already had the Stager go through to help us see our home with a 'buyer's eye.' She worked with us to make a list of everything that might be done to bring the place up to snuff.

No dates are set quite yet, and that's okay. Because while we feel the Stager's list was quite doable, and we're fairly on track, it was a long list and, well, we've needed the time.

I'll admit it's hard on the psyche when you work hard to clear out a lot of unnecessary things and start to feel good about the extra space, and then you start on some of the projects, like painting, that just disrupt it all with a big fat mess.

It occurs me to me, as I step carefully over paint cans and drop sheets, that the pursuit of a maturing faith can be the same.

Just like the gracious and professional Stager could see things we were blind to simply because we'd become accustomed to it, my soul needs a similar kind of deeper scrutiny. And if I want to keep moving forward in this journey towards Christ-likeness, I need to do far more than make things look pretty.

In fact, I have to have the courage to pray the more dangerous prayers. And then I have to be ready to do the work, despite the mess that ensues.

I don't have to go very far into things to find what needs my attention. Let's just do a simple listing of the 'fruit of the Spirit', that list of virtues Paul lays out as evidence of a maturing faith in Galatians 5:22-23.

Love, joy, peace, patience -- oops, we have to stop there.

Recently when I invited the Spirit to 'search me,' this thing about patience came up. Uh oh. I had thought of myself as a patient person. But then I began to notice how I responded when technology didn't work the way I expected it to. Or when all the wires on my desk would get so tangled. Or actually when anything that I think is going to require a matter of seconds, ends up slowing me down in a complicated, annoying kind of way.

Like I said. Uh oh.

That's just one example, just one paint can I have had to step over a few times of late.

A brief balancer caveat is needed here, because some of us more introspective types can overdo this for sure. No need to sit in self-analysis paralysis desperately searching for something wretched inside of us. God is faithful. If we are praying the dangerous prayers, He will bring something to our attention when we are ready and if it's the right time.

But in the right state of expectancy, a beautiful, dangerous prayer can be offered. In fact, it's necessary. That is, if we are intent on working with the Spirit in this process of spiritual formation.

And of course, the results can be so beautiful.
Like a fresh coat of paint....once all the furniture is put back in place.

Back to the move. Folks are asking so I'll just restate that we are NOT moving out of KW. The plan is to build a smaller dwelling that will be on shared property with our son David. This has been in the works for two years already, but is only requiring the concrete (pun intended) steps now.

More on that later. since I'm sure there are oh so many things to write about as we go through this stage of life transition.

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone.
Take care for the big swing in the weather.
Personally, I'm enjoying the fact that usually on Wednesdays I'm out and about going all sorts of places.
But today....I get to stay in.
Maybe I'll even get to painting the trim.