The Necessary Process

Phil. 3:12b, Living Bible, "I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ saved me for and wants me to be."

My house is forty-eight years old, and, when my husband died last year, parts of our home were long overdue for an update. I resolved at that time to tackle several much needed projects. Right now I am at the beginning stage of renovating the master bathroom. This week workers completely gutted the old bathroom, leaving its frame and insulation bare like an exposed skeleton. It makes such a mess in my house to redo a room, and I hate how it looks in the process. And yet I have completed some of my refurbishing plans, turning a bedroom into a playroom for my grandchldren and great grandchildren and refurnishing the master bedroom and the guest bedroom. I am delighted with the results, but the processes have been so disruptive that I dreaded tackling the bathroom and put it off for a long time.

One of my friends debated about adding a sun porch to her house. I very much encouraged her to do it, saying she wouldn't enjoy the process but would love the results. Her new sun porch is her favorite room in the house.

Sometimes if we want certain results we just have to grit our teeth, summon our courage and determination, and go through the process necessary to achieve what we want. After redoing the bathroom, I need to decide if I have enough courage and determination to renovate my kitchen!

My body and spirit are much older than my house and need renovating as well. Hopefully I will have the courage and determination to make the needed physical and spiritual changes that would give me the desired results in these areas of my life.

Father, direct me in the setting of worthy goals, and give me the courage and determination to persevere until the desired results are achieved. Amen.