The last several days have been quite the adventure! I have watched our home be scraped and sanded, and scraped and sanded some more. You know, a house takes pretty good care of us if we take good care of it. Show it a little love. But when we don’t, things happen to it like the weather along with the way it hits and batters our home. How easy it can be for leaves and twigs to gather in our gutters and down spouts. Heat can cause our home’s glory to fade and/or blister over time. So even as the previous owners may not have wanted to, or just couldn’t take care of this home, and any repairs were less than stellar, it is still standing and hopefully, we will bring some beauty back to its outside cedar walls. So… what has that got to do with changes and cover-ups? Let me share a few thoughts with you about what came to mind as I did a walk-around and took a picture of the pre-finished prep and painting.
First came the bath. Power washing an older home with cedar wood siding can bring surprises. BIG surprises…such as wood needing replacement. Then after house drying, came the listening to the drone of a scraper going across our walls and the sander sanding down the rough spots. It was rather painful to me. There were some warped areas even that need to be straightened out by extra support. However, it made me think of how my life has had many rough patches, splinters and chips that have needed to be taken off by the Carpenter Himself. When our contractor did this for the house, it was for the better and longer life of the home. He was cleaning it, smoothing out the wood as much as possible for the age of the cedar, and preparing it for the next step. The next step was to fill anything that might need filling, priming spots that needed it to accept the paint that was coming. But what if you had to change the color scheme completely? Roll baby roll with it. We had to just that, from blues to green with off white trim.
But…let’s pause and think about that. What would happen if he just would have come here and just started painting? The paint would have looked ok for a while maybe, but in a not too distant future, the paint would have shed off the old cedar and we would have a multi-colored home with bleeding of old paint. The paint would not have adhered to the wood given how dusty it was and the problem areas of the siding. All the work and money would be for not.
So… do you ever carry your bad experiences or anger, and have a few chips and splinters and rough patches that you refuse to allow to be cared for? You know you need it, but may not willing to deal with it or do the work required, along with God’s help, to see where it may need some extra attention for you to let it all go? Oh we can try to cover it up with a life style we show everyone in person or on social media, or by the clothes we wear, or the house or car have, or purse we carry. We can even hide the sadness on my face with makeup so we look good for others. However, we could be crying inside, or be lonely even among many people. We could purchase “things” so that we feel better, or have a glass of wine thinking that will do the trick. But it won’t. We still have to live with ourselves. We know what we think and feel like…like an old house needing attention. That is why God tells us to know Him more and more, and He will guide and direct us. He helps us shed what needs to be shed.
I believe God was reminding me today that it isn’t about all that. It is about what I am willing to let go of, and how much excavating I am willing to do to smooth out the rough areas. That IS my responsibility. God will help me if I am willing. However, I have to be willing to do the work. It is work to do what the contractor did for the house prep. He knows the value of getting that all accomplished before painting. And even though all that work is done, it will still carry some of those rough spots…the scars of living. I have plenty of those and they show and give testimony to how I have made it through with God’s help. I don’t like them, but they remind me of what God has brought me through. Ask God to be your sandpaper and rub off the things He needs to work on, or chip off what needs to be chipped off. It is a process that will sting a little, but He is faithful to help us. And.. IF you think you don’t have areas to work on, you are in some kind of denial. Why?? Because we all have them. We just have gotten good at hiding them from ourselves and others. It will come out at some point. Better to do the work before that happens. It is my hope at some point to add a little Norwegian flair to the peaks of the home. But that it a day from my oldest son to add to our personal touches.
This house was a legacy to someone before us. Mark Batterson says, “Legacy is not what you accomplish. Legacy is what others accomplish because of you.” God has given us a house…it is our desire to make it a home where others feel something different in its presence. So as I walk around it today with the front of it being done without the trim painting, I can see progress to loving on a home with all its issues as a way to give back to God the joy of caring for what He has graciously given us. We will continue to be faithful to that end. Even when there will be areas that continue to remind us of the value you a few scars…it means we have lived.
Doesn’t your life scream for that also? Mine does. I want to leave a legacy to those around me, and who love and care for me. Don’t you see how God cares for you each day you wake up to breathe the fresh air? Because, if you have taken that for granted and just think you deserve to live here and do what you do, then I hope you see the value of this lesson about life differently after reading this. You were given a life, and many haven’t had that privilege of a long life. You have the opportunity to build a legacy with your freedom; to make it what you would you desire and leave that legacy behind. Start where you can, with what you have, and keep stepping forward. He is faithful to guide us if we don’t think we are so smart that we don’t need Him. We do now more than ever. I know I do and I’m sure if you are honest with yourselves, you could admit there are areas of your life you need do something about. Are you covering it up to try and hide it, or letting God work with you to prepare you for what is next? That’s the rub, isn’t it? Letting Him in to do the work. It might take some time and hurt for a while. However, the end result is pretty amazing. Lessons are not always easy or fun, but you can feel grateful for the grace given for the journey you are on.
Let Him do a little remodeling in your heart and in your thinking. We will have a home to remind us of just that. We still have to do the maintenance on the house to keep it in good condition. We have to do the same thing in our daily lives. Our home is still not done, but we will have a better version of our home when it is complete. And…I did get my red door still!
Remember the seeing the picture of the Jesus knocking at the door? We have heard that verse about Jesus standing at the door of your heart, but WE must open the door. Do you know why that says that? Because if you look at the picture of the original, you will find there is no handle on the outside of the door. That is because we have to open it from the inside to allow Him entry.
Until next time…
~JoAnn
P.S. I have decided through prayer, that my weekly posts may have been more me than Him, so I chosen not to continue that part of this blog. Given my blog is what this site is for, I will stay with that. Thank you so much for being faithful in your readership. I appreciate all of you! Enjoy the sunshine.
God isn’t afraid to take us to school when we need it. So what are we afraid of when we hear living in the moment? It almost sounds irresponsible, or flying by the seat of our pants, doesn’t it? But really, that is not what it means, or at least not what I refer to when I talk about it. What makes us so afraid of it? And…why is living in the moment so hard for us? It could be that if we stopping running, or stop our hurried steps, we might FEEL. We don’t want to feel. So we keep so busy with life and responsibilities so that we don’t have to reflect on our true feelings or hurts. All our “tries” never seem enough. We may feel that we don’t measure up or we don’t feel worthy enough. But all this running is keeping us from dealing with the fact that it is a heart issue. We don’t want to deal with the feelings or the knowledge that comes from understanding that we really do know that we need to change something. So to keep from doing that, we keep busy, put a smile on our faces, and keep pretending things are ok. My hubby and I made a “live in the moment” decision for me to make the trip to Norway, and take my son and grandson with me. I called on ticket prices, asked my son if he would want to go and if my grandson could go, and booked the tickets. That all happened in one day’s time. If God gives you an idea, let Him work out the details. He put this opportunity to go on my hubby’s heart. God will work it all out when it’s His idea and His will!
His masterpiece. So just like that example, I ask God to reveal what is keeping me from happiness or joy when I have those feelings. He will then tell me and start the whittling process…chipping away at those things in my life that need to fall off.
But the one thing that I took back home with me from my trip to Norway is the connection with family and friends. How important it is for me, and for those around me to stay connected. It makes my soul happy and contented, even when life gets hard. Sharing life together. We need it. Dinners together, drives to do something as a family, and even putting down our phones long enough to really listen and share with each other. Making the effort to drive several hours two times in a week or so to be with your niece to love on her in a most difficult time in her life. God designed it that way. When we are running so busy that we don’t have time for stopping to comfort a child who is having a bad morning because we have things to do, or when we listen with our ears only instead of listening with our hearts to someone who is hurting, we are not living in the moment. We are too busy to even notice when God gives us an opportunity to minister to someone who needs it. Maybe not even with words, but just a hug or holding a hand. It can unlock the heart of the one who is needing a listening ear. That’s what slowing down our lives can look like. I saw those examples of support and listening when I visited Norway. They make an effort even when they may live further away from each other to stay connected. Connection is important to them. It is to me too. I take every opportunity to stay in touch with friends and family. One never knows when your call or text, or not in the mail, will be the one thing that gets them through the day.
There is a saying we have all probably heard that says to “live your one life well”. That means that where ever you are, be right there. I think the Norwegians have things right in that they work hard, and relax, and play hard. They know that the balance is needed for them to have joy in their lives. They balance the long, dark winters with being out in the light and sunshine as much as possible when Spring and Summer come. I saw a man in a large city in Norway sitting on a bench on a busy street with his shirt off just taking in the sunshine while it was there. Eyes closed, soaking in the sunlight. He lived in the moment. They make the coziness of their homes a priority so they DO enjoy the those long nights during winter…warm fires, candle light, and coffee or hot chocolate abounds. Knitting cozied up by the fire. They plan and do the things that prepare them for the winter months. They also look forward to the Holiday of Christmas and all being together. Balance…the key to joy.
to have connection, and THAT turns out to be priority. However, it took me some days to get that message. I was mad at myself for not getting better photos when I took them. I mean, who doesn’t want to come home with fantastic photos from such a beautiful country???? I missed some, and others were like on tours where you are moving through an area, and spending time setting up a photo isn’t necessarily what you have time for. I got pretty upset with myself. As I prayed about it, God showed me that the pictures I was taking were to remember. I’m not in a contest for the best photo. The connections are what is important and remembering them. So even though many of my photos were from a car window, that was ok. Because I had that memory. It also transferred to when I am at home. It isn’t important for me to be some great photographer. What is important, is that I DO hone my skills, but it is to take better photos in what ever circumstance, not to be in any competition for the best photo of the day or to BE the best. I love photography and I want to keep enjoying it. When I start putting undue pressures on myself to do it differently, that is when I realize, that I’m getting off course. A person could see my whole life through my photos. That is what I want with my photography. That others will see how I live and my philosophy and maybe be encouraged to take some of the steps I have taken to have joy in living.
I believe, I’m in another chipping off season in my life, and that is ok. He gave me a trip to Norway to show me what is important in the way I live MY life. So I leaned in close in Norway. I learned about the ways of making coffee can be an art. Now I know that from coffee shops, but it can be like that at home also. I don’t like coffee that much, but I learned to like it the way my cousin made it. So I asked how she did it. I loved many of the foods I ate, and I asked how to make it. I wanted to absorb as much of the culture as I could. Not just BE there, but to live in the moment of every day there. I learned about the history of the immigrants, like my grandparents on both sides of my family and why they made the decisions that they made to move away from everything they knew to come to the unknown in the U.S. How those that were here in the U.S. would work so hard so that they could send money home or tickets home for their family to come to the U.S. I learned how some couldn’t stay in the U.S. because they missed the beauty of Norway and they came back home. Some were so destitute living here that they took their lives before admitting to family at home of their despair. We as kids who grew up around our parents talking about the depression, and all the fun many of us made out of them walking to school with holes in their shoes and walking miles to school, isn’t so far of a stretch. I know it to be true of my father’s parents and even his older siblings. I have found a new respect for each of them searching for a better life, and their tenacity to keep going. It’s amazing, actually. I don’t take that for granted and wished as young child, I would have known more about what they went through. I think I would have been a much more attentive granddaughter. But they didn’t talk about it at all. Neither did my parents. As children we missed so much. I don’t want my kids to not know about them. Thus, I took my two sons and my grandson with me the two times I have gone. I want all my ancestor’s hard work to make a life for their families, to survive as a story and testament to their courage. I am here because of the hard work of all who came before me, including my parents. What work ethics they had! Families stuck together through thick and thin, and helped each other. That is legacy.
I hope this last trip is not my last. I have more to learn…more to experience…more time on the beach in Norway with neighbors and relatives around a bonfire! More letters to read. I copied 
some of my mother’s letters to relatives in Norway that were written to my cousin. Sometimes I find out more about my mom through reading them. I took pictures of old pictures so that I can share them with family, and they will know who they are. I have decided that writing on as many of the pictures I have, is important, since many of my parents’ pictures did not have names on them.
Before I begin the post, I just want to take a moment to wish all the Moms out there a blessed and wonderful Mother’s Day. You are amazing! My mom was one of those amazing people. She was there for me; behind me to support and to help when I needed it. She went through a bad patch when I was in high school for a couple of years, but God took care of that matter. She was always willing to help someone, and loved to craft and had many projects going at one time. She was also known to have a completely different looking room or house by the time we got home from school. It was wild a few times! I will always be grateful for all she did for me, my home, my kids and my life. Thanks mom.
with the world. I realized that I don’t want to miss any of those kind of moments. I want to:
As I have thought about the upcoming trip, I am having fun planning and executing the schedule so it comes together well. I have my ironing board out to iron this next week so I can finish packing. I have connected with the airline to find out what time we need to be at the airport, and about checking bags, and all those little details. What fun! My youngest son is bringing his brother and nephew down to the airport, so we will meet up and have a nice lunch before going to the airport to check in. The anticipation of going is pretty exciting for the three of us. This will be Ethan’s first time on a plane, let alone traveling internationally. I got a kick out of him as we talked about the money. He thought it was so dumb that our money wasn’t the same as theirs, and that given one day or a few days later, could be worth even less, or maybe worth more. So cute. But he will learn all about that exchange first hand. Learning first hand is always best. I hope this trip will be something they will never forget. I love the idea of giving them some historical background about where they came from. I am also very thankful to those who make it possible while we are there, to meet up, and share history with us. And of course, anytime I can walk outside and immediately see the fjord, I feel like I am getting a glimpse of heaven. I thank God every day I am there for the beauty!
his harmonica. I treasure the box almost as much as I do the instrument because it just shows a little of my dad’s personality. I have shown this box to my grandson many times as a part of his treasure box of memories that we go through when he comes to see me. I try to add things all the time to that box so he has different stories to hear. Someday, that box will be his, and possibly the harmonica as well.
journeysofmyheart.com 