On a side note, Erik and I discussed today about my explosions of excitement about anything that makes me happy and how it may or may not scare people when I go 0-60 on the bliss scale in about 1 second. It is probably a safe bet to say that my neighbor found out about my love for window during one of these moments.
Anyway....
At the time, I was sick with a fever but still made Erik take me over to the alley to collect several of these dirty old windows, which were then put into our garage and moved from wall to wall waiting to be transformed into one of the glorious ideas that I had created in my head.
Fast forward One Year......
As I was cleaning out some of the excessive amount of unwanted and yet oh-so-hard to give away things in my home, I stumbled upon these windows.
Still dirty.
Totally forgotten.
Gleaming with potential.
Is this not sometimes how I look at ministry? At the beginning, there are explosions of excitement, energy, ideas, and opportunity. Nothing can stand in your way...not even a fever!! You jump on board with the intention to make the mundane completely outstanding.
And then....a year goes by.
And some of those great ideas worked, some didn't. Some of that excitement was warranted and some felt wasted. And most likely, the energy is gone. I think that is where I have been for a couple of months.
But the truth is, the potential is always there. It is never gone. Sometimes it takes a fresh perspective to get things going again. Sometimes just a rainy day. Most definitely the recognition that the purpose is much bigger than myself and that the plans that God has for something, that could seemingly be trash in an alley, are greater than my shortcomings.
And one day, you wake up refreshed and renewed. And stumbling upon something you may have forgotten, you find a new vision and pursue it.
As I read this post.....I could not help but to remember this great prayer written by Ken Gire from his book WINDOWS of the SOUL.
ReplyDeleteI love your vision of windows and I love your insight into potential.....Mom
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"Thank You, O God
For seeing beyond the surface of my life to the child sitting at the mirror,
Thank You for sitting down beside me, putting Your arm around me, and speaking to me with such tenderness, such compassion, and such understanding.
Help me to be aware of the pictures in my life that are everywhere around me and at all times
showing me something I need to see,
telling me something I need to hear,
offering me something I need to receive.
Help me look beyond the surface of those pictures to see windows.
Give me eyes to see,
ears to hear,
and a heart to receive what You are offering me through those windows,
that I might sense what is dear to You
so that it might become what is dear to me......
Sister! I love your blog. It is the highlight of my day! I love getting to hear whats going on in your heart. Love you and love your creativity!!!!
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