laundry

I am looking forward to a doing a big heaping load of wash. 
How warped is this?!

I have been traveling for three weeks now and have not done a single load of laundry.
Ew.
I am a bit disgusted myself as I write that~
I've done the traveling thing; washing in the shower a few necessities and hanging to dry over the hotel shower curtain rod...

But not doing laundry isn't my point exactly;
it's the looking forward to doing laundry.

Now that is not something you hear very often....

Especially from a mom of four boys!

To be honest I am craving after a lot of mundane tasks and common place stuff right now:

Eating with a metal utensil...

from a non-disposable container...

Using a curling iron...

Wearing my slippers...

Curling up on a couch...

Cooking-even if just to scramble eggs for Patrick!

 

All things I take for granted regularly when home.

 

All things missed deeply when traveling.

I can't help but draw a parallel in this craving and looking forward to~

I imagine God feeling that way about me. About every human.

Introduced to Him at birth through Catholic baptism, Sunday school and regular church attendance-

I was among those aware of Him;

taking for granted He was part of this world,

part of my life. 

 

I traveled through my growing up simply aware that He was a something, a someone, who was always there. 

Like my silverware, dishes, slippers and cozy couch~

He was just there. 

I never thought what it could possibly be like to not have Him just there....

like the washing machine...or silverware drawer. 

Always there.

 

yet life always had a craving; a longing; a 'something missing'...

 

a 'looking forward to' in which I had no idea what I was forward looking to~

 

Then I went through a period of life-travel; 

traveling onto 

a new way of doing normal,

a new way of doing me. 

And in it I recognized and began to appreciate once again the 'everyday' and 'common place' that I'd been taking for granted.

And I began to look forward to getting home and finding it

embracing it

appreciating it. 

Doing a load of holy laundry!

 

Drawing me so far in that now, 

in this new way, this new 'common place'

I never take for granted,

I'll never be able to take for granted~

I'll never be allowed to take for granted~

But only savor and relish the feel

~metal fork instead of plastic

~china bowl instead of cardboard

~cozy couch instead of pilled-up pillows on desk chair...

 

God relationship rather than God awareness.

 

He's keeping me close by keeping me craving. 

He's not risking my becoming complacent to His presence now that I've fully flung open and shouted through the walls of my heart,

'I'm home!' 

 

The delicious smell of Tide with bleach will not go unappreciated.

The tactile beauty of my Calphalon soup pot will be embraced anew.

My tender traveling toes will slide into cushioned slippers with delicious bliss. 

 

As the love and companionship of my God is each day is delighted in

and looked forward to~

 

My God is in each and every every day

~Reminding me of His pervading and ever-present position.

 

Never letting me fall into routine or take His presence for granted~

delighting in the work-dare I call it such-

He keeps me always craving after,

looking forward to

the little, under appreciated, often overlooked creature comforts of modern life.

 

And in the by and by of this not only better understanding His love and care for me, 

but also His determination

-with a small smirk of delight on His face I believe!-

to never let me get comfortable without appreciating the Comforter~

I might even do two loads. 

And fold it all....ahhhh....

I love my God.

in love. trish

day 25

25
come near to me 

Significant as I get closer to home; off to Northern California today...home in 6 days after 27 away....in love. trish.

just like a lion

There's a popular story that's circulated over the years about a young boy visiting a sculptures studio and marveling at how very life-like he was able to render the image of a lion in stone.
The sculptor explained to the boy that it was an easy process; he simply chipped away at everything that wasn't the lion.

And so are we.
the stone.

God works on us daily, chipping away at the willing and righteous heart, to come to look, act and be more  like Jesus.
Painful? Sometimes unexpectedly revealing? Always an adventure?
You bet!
I say it with a bit of excitement and even anticipation....

To want pain?!
To want unexpected?!
To want adventure?! (Okay, that one's more believable...)

Yes; I want, with excitement and anticipation, all those things.

Because you see, it's not the pain of injury or heartbreak or devastation,
but the pain of growth, pushing boundaries and taking the road less traveled.

But there's a key; not just any road less traveled-the one designed exclusively, with all the road signs and directional maps labeled and scripted in your own name by the one who designed the best course, the optimal path, the perfect travel plan-just for you.

And, one just right for me.
And, for the next door neighbor.
And the best friend.
Everyone, actually.
For each, a most perfect plan.
Hand designed and sculpted from the great designer himself.

I know, you want to scoff: Don't go yet though.

You see, I used to be you.
A scoffer.
I believed, but I didn't follow.
And I didn't trust.
And I certainly didn't make any decisions other than my own.
And I was miserable.
Lost.
Insecure.
Completely lacking in confidence, direction and purpose.
I bet you can see me clearly.....

Oh I looked okay.
A book contract. An up and coming teaching schedule. The start of a great career and four beautiful teenage boys.
But I was a mess on the inside.
You know, the preverbial 'broken' place.
I was there.

And I found out it wasn't the end. The bottom. the 'all there is'~
It was the beginning.
The starting block.
The sculptor's worktable.

And I began to be formed.
Sculpted if you will.
Parts of me were salvageable; the teaching, the writing, the inspiring.
But there was more to be done.

And I asked for it~

That's another key; a willing heart.
You have to say 'Okay! I'm all in!'
Or, as I did,
' Take me and make me! I am here!'
Daily.

It's so much fun.
Don't believe me?!
Then I dare you.
You don't know till you try.....

You can always change your mind and turn around~
If its too hard.
Or too scary.

And, honestly, it will be.
But its a good hard.
And a really, really good scary.
Truly.
I don't lie.
I find it impossible to do so.
wow.
Don't you want to say that?!
Don't you want to be here?!
Don't you want to see how far you can go, how many you can touch, and just how full your life can be?
It's yours; the one for which you were designed.

Let Him start chipping.
It's amazing.

And, if you ask, I'll tell you morewww.pbsartist.com.
You can come pick up each shard, chip and rock that has fallen from my form and ask me about it.
I am anxious to tell.
Their ugly has made me beautiful :)
pbsartist@aol.com 360-239-8081
in love. trish