making room

Friday afternoon when I came home, I decided to start on Baby H's room. "Decorating already?" you may ask. Nope, not decorating! The room we intend to be Baby's room has been our storage room for two years. Storage. Which, in my world, usually means, "I have no idea where to put this. Throw it in that room and shut the door so I don't have to think about it." 

Old clothes, winter clothes, hubby's hunting clothes, our luggage, keepsakes, pictures, books, tools, extra furniture, kitchen supplies, Christmas decorations, and old TV, workout equipment that I (intend to) use - and a partridge in a stinking pear tree. 

My first task was to pull everything out of the room to see what was actually in there. And I thought, "It's just one room. I could probably finish this before Webb gets home this evening." 

Yeah. I thought I could handle this... 

...and more, in three hours. 

What I hadn't thought about was the fact that everything in that room had something to do with every. other. room. in our house. And what began with "organizing a room," turned into, "rearranging every room, closet, nook, and cranny in our home". 

But! The final result made my heart smile with anticipation...

(Sorry about the graininess - it's a panorama that didn't go quite as planned.)

I've decided to do Baby's room in all neutrals. White crib, gray bedding, white dresser, pale walls.

Webb's and my life is fast-paced, on the run, and at times we bear some stress from the (most-of-the-time beautiful) work the Lord has called us to. (I know none of you has met an overwhelmed pastor, right?) Well, with that being the case, I try to make every part of our home a peaceful place. I don't bring a laptop or iPad in the bedroom to work. We try to cover our home with prayer and serenity. And I wanted that same feeling in Baby's room. He or she will have plenty of noise and color every other moment of the day. I hope this nursery will be a place of true peace for them. 

The chaos that ensued in our home after I tore that room apart reminded me of a spiritual truth. 

Often, we close the door to a certain part of our hearts; we're reluctant to let Jesus work in there. We know each thing He puts His finger on will lead to some other part of our hearts we need to release to Him. If He points out our problem of offense, we will most likely be led to confront our pride. If He shows us our unwillingness to give, we will likely have to confront our fear of poverty - our ultimate distrust of Him. Let Him expose our dislike for a person; He'll often lead us to that same trait in ourselves. 

But that is true discipleship - nothing withheld, no door locked, no part of us unscathed by His purifying fire. 

Open the door, today. Let Him start the cleaning out process you may have been avoiding. 

The peace and beauty to follow will be worth it. 

______________________________________________________

We have one week until we (hopefully!) will find out if Baby H is a lady or a gentleman! We are so excited - can't wait to share the news with you. 

soul care - take time to replenish

"If you really want me to. But, if I go with you, you better hear me saying, 'I love you desperately much,' through every minute of that event."

That was my response when my husband asked me to attend a reunion for our university last week, an evening occasion inviting every person from every class who ever graduated from Southeastern University.

Nothing sounds more daunting to me than walking around "mingling" for two hours and making small-talk with about 500 of my (totally not) closest friends. I used to think I just wasn't a "people person". And I wondered why the Lord would call someone like that to ministry. What was He thinking!?

But then, I realized I absolutely love people! I just like to enjoy them one at a time, with real, deep, meaningful conversations. I sincerely enjoy spending relaxed, quality time with one or two people who know me (and I know) well.  And finally, I discovered, I'm an introvert! I love people AND I love being alone! During my twenties, my greatest fear when thinking about marriage was that I'd never be alone again. Which was very difficult to understand when coupled with my lasting and persistent desire to be married.

My weakness? A large room, full of people I only sort of know. I've learned to cope; I'm quite used to "working a room" now. I can put the brave face on, meet and greet, hold conversations, and have a few laughs. But, I have a limit. One hour or two of that sort of interaction, and I feel like I've worked a 12 hour day and I want a cup of coffee and a nap!

Crazy, I know. And if you're an extravert, you're probably tempted to think, "You're pitiful." I applaud your people-given energy! In fact, I need you in my life so much I married one of you! He balances me out. Especially in moments where he pushes me to go to a reunion and actually enjoy myself.

The truth is, if you're an introvert, you often don't fit the mold. Meeting new people might be anxiety-laden, making small-talk is laborious, and the daily grind can be more tiring for you than for those who get energy from being with others. Our world is busy. And, no matter how contrary it feels, we all will spend more time out-and-about, socializing, than we will spend doing what feels natural - being alone and traveling the deep recesses of our souls while reflecting.

So, introvert, you've got to be especially diligent about replenishing. Replenishment is important for every soul God created. It's a part of soul-care. And I got some great information from a few ladies in ministry while in Florida last week that I was so excited to share with you.

Here're a few ideas for replenishing the tank:

Get in the Word.

Nothing will refresh a depleted soul like the salve of God's words to us. Get your coffee (or tea), close the door (even if you only have 5-10 minutes), and breathe in His words. 

Do something different. 

Break from your norm a minute! Stroll a store (alone, of course;). Drive a different way home or make a loop. Walk a new trail. Get out of the routine and reflect somewhere new.

Take a personal retreat

Do that thing most people around you would consider torture. It's been 5 or 6 years since I did this, but GO AWAY! By yourself! My first experience was forced. My best friends actually picked me up at work, blindfolded me, drove me an hour, and dropped me at a resort. Bag packed, separate vehicle left behind for my use. And nothing but Jesus, me, a journal, and a pool for 24 hours. Perfect. (Sidenote - if you know an introvert who seems particularly overwhelmed, this may be just the ticket to ease the load!)

Talk to a friend.

Sometimes, just telling the story from beginning to end and hearing a fresh perspective will lift your heart and make room for the next thing. And even if nothing sounds more daunting or intimidating than trying to say what's swirling in your heart, give it a shot with one of those friends you know just "gets" you. No worries if it takes you a while to get to the point.

Get serious about taking these opportunities - it's not likely anyone will just hand them to you. And, if you take them often enough, you'll enjoy living, loving, and serving so much more! And, let's be honest, you'll probably be a little more enjoyable yourself!