Tuesday, February 12, 2019

When An Old Thing Feels Like a New Thing




“Behold, I am making all things new.”   ... Revelation 21:5


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So finally I'm back and here simply to answer the eternal question: "Does the math they teach you in school even help later in Real Life?"

Yes. Yes, it does. ツ

See, for two weeks I've used more math (and had more near-headaches) than I'd had in, oh, three years. And mostly it's all Kathryn from Do It On a Dime's fault.

Due to her inspiration, I'm still reorganizing drawers and cupboards and suddenly half my life (it feels like) became one long math word problem.

Like--

You've got 22-inch shelves with a depth of 12 inches so how many baskets can you fit across them and what dimensions of the baskets do you need to buy? (And where can you purchase them and not explode your household budget?)

---or---

You want to add a cutlery tray to your desk drawer, but the height is less than 2 inches and they don't make those. So then you must search your house for boxes you can (measure and) cut down to size (boxes you'd love to spray-paint, but hey, it's snowing outside, Silly.)

So many notes! Scribbling! Numbers! 

Or that space in our bathroom where I'd love to place a cabinet/anything storage-related, but hours later, I discover just one thing in all of Internet Land that fits. 

Though yikes, the cost was nutso. But then God had mercy-- and led me to one that was $50 less(!) (And I'm not even mentioning Tom's portable living room table broke, so that means more specific dimensions I must search-out online.)

Yet oh, it becomes a wonderful mind-stretching adventure when I stop veering off Grace's track/schedule. It all works out somehow--when I move when she does and park it when Grace says, "Rest."

Also? God has this mysterious way of making old tasks feel new.Things we've done for 40 years can feel--if not exciting--then enough to make us all anticipatory of what can happen today on our specific, for-such-a-time-as-this journey. 

If we don't force things and keep working past Grace's cut off, thus becoming wild with frustration, especially when treating it all like a race we must win--or else.





How easy to go there, right? (And yeah, I visited there a couple times lately. er hem.)


Oh, but when we follow Grace--how sweet it is. The hours, days of our listening close to the One who knows us--and our future--best--

--that's how we'll enjoy the journey. On Grace's track, not our cattywampus Reasoning Track.

Today are you loving your life even before all your personal pesky ducks are swimming in a row? And even if maybe your head, too, is spinning with your own version of never-ending math problems?

I hope so. I pray so, for God has made ways for us to enjoy whatever needs to be done. And He can make it all feel new again--and us as well. 

No really, He can. He's just waiting for us to ask, to seek and to find Him in the quiet places. And to admit His ways are much higher (and better) than our own.






As we grow older God doesn't want us to become all been-there-done-that bored. Perhaps that's one reason He keeps making things feel new for us.

The birth of new knowledge begins with an admission of old ignorance." --- Orrin Woodward


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A movie I can recommend? Dog Days. Not the type of film I'd normally watch, but on a Saturday, none of our tv shows had updated On Demand and we were desperate.  ツ

We both enjoyed it much.



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Today I finished reading Scraps of Paper and these were two of my favorite lines--



"The asphalt road before her car was shimmering in the summer's heat and the steering wheel under her hands felt good. She was in search of a new life because the past was unchangeable, but the future wasn't."


From Scraps of Paper by Kathryn Meyer Griffith (via Kindle, where you'll still find it free, at least as of today.)






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God, Himself, wants to lead us. Only He knows where we need to be.



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4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I know exactly what you’re talking about. I’ve been measuring, visiting the dollar store and rearranging ever since you introduced us to Kathryn. You know what else has been fun for me? I ordered a dusting mitt off of Amazon. I’m having a great time going around and dusting all of our mini blinds! Who would’ve thought? Happy Tuesday Debra. Blessings, Betsy

Rebecca said...

How exciting!

Pam said...

Your opening statement question made me laugh...oh yes, those math skills do come in handy every once in awhile! Wish I had a dollar for every time I was asked that question, way back when I was an elementary teacher! It sounds like you're getting everything shipshape and it IS a great time of year to have inside projects. Some days it's hard to believe that spring is (SUPPOSED)to be just a little over a month away.

Debra said...

Oh yes, Betsy! And I've been meaning to tell you that your last comment (about how you're now watching Kathryn) totally made my day. I love it when I can lead folks to anything which helps/inspires/delights them. Thanks for letting me know and I wish you well in your reorganizing and cleaning journey!

Rebecca--thanks! Part of this journey has been rather exciting, seeing the results even more so.

Pam--oh! Hadn't known you were a teacher at one time. Awesome! Teachers have been my favorite people for the vast majority of my life. And yes, I was just thinking that the other day--how this in-the-house organizing is being done at a perfect time of year when I'm in the house so much now anyway!

Thank-you, Ladies! Blessings, Debra