25 November 2020

I have been collecting my old clothes to give away to St Vincent DePaul or Good Sammys. That way they can be useful and be reused by people. Actually, to be more truthful, they are clothes that don’t fit me anymore. Sad face.  Or ones that “I don’t know why I bought it?” question hangs over them.

So, while I’m doing this, I’m also going through the linen closet. I don’t need 6 pairs of single sheets anymore. The 5 children and niece who lived with us are no longer living here, so out they go.

Sometimes I have so much STUFF that 4 to 5 years ago when I had done this identical procedure I  opened a stall one Saturday morning at the markets and everything went out for $1,$2,$5…. And the proceeds went to some orphans in Zambia. I made well over $600 for them.

They also have just opened up a place to collect old cans, bottles, recyclable cartons which give you 10c per item. Last week after collecting them from some parties and having a collection point at work it totalled $45.00.  Woah. So worth to do. To recycle for the environment and the orphans benefit too.

It made me think that we can recycle so many things now days. They make New Items out of recycled glass, car tyres, old clothes, bottles, plastic, …… The products they make are amazing. 

But these are things.

What about US?

Do we not need renewing at times? Often?

It is of such importance and necessity to renew, refocus, restore, resurrect, repair, reorganize, repurpose, reproduce, re-spiritualize, reconfigure, reconcile, reconstruct,……  ourselves.

As a Christian we know that often we can only do so much ourselves.

Recognizing first that we need help to restore our nature, to restore the peace in our lives is the hardest thing.

Then we can practically do things but often Jesus is the only way to HEAL- to RESTORE US.

Jesus can do this every day for us.  He gives us new mercies every morning as stated in Lamentations 3:22-23 NRSV.

²² The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
    his mercies never come to an end;
²³ they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.

He restores our soul. He is our caretaker. Our shepherd and we the sheep. He watches over us.

¹ The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
²     He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
³     he restores my soul.  (my inner most being.)
He leads me in right paths
    for his name’s sake.

Psalm 23:1-3 NRSV

From this beautiful Psalm that David wrote, he is telling us that to be restored we need to have 

Rest

Reflection

Replenishment

Oh, thank the goodness of God that He does not discard us on a junk pile. He can take us and make us NEW. Renewed. Restored better than the original.

By the working and transformation within us, within our character, with our habits.

So, we need to first Rest in HIM.

Relax in God’s presence. Breathe In, Breathe Out, Breathe In, Breathe Out.

It’s amazing how just physically doing the breathing calms us, settles us. Then if we imagine on top of this breathing, the Spirit of God hovers over us waiting to pour refreshing renewable SPIRIT ENERGY down upon us. To pour down His anointing, His gifts.

Secondly, we need to REFLECT. We need to look at everything with a God’s Kingdom perspective. This will give us protection, a safe place, knowing we are secure under the leadership of God.

Then thirdly we need to replenish ourselves. Both the rest and reflection leads to a renewed vigour to live for God. But not only here and now. It also includes in anticipation and hope to be with God forever in the future.

With this perspective we become renewed, prepared for the problems of the day that can arise.

God IS with us, CARES for us. We face everything in Life WITH Him, so there is no battle too big for us to face alone.

Just like the recycled items that are made new they take time to make, so too, does ourselves. Our restoration can occur miraculously with no effort on our part, other than belief.

Or it can occur over a period of time, where God changes us, our attitudes. This restoration takes time. Working through everything. Focusing on God and His greatness. Renewing us with Hope and Joy.

So are we getting to need some R and R as they call it? Is it time to go through our JUNK internal wardrobe? Our OLD HABITS that need to change? To be renewed? To be thrown out totally or get Refurbished?

Do I need to open up MY own market stall and TOSS out STUFF?

Have I been holding onto things, feelings, for too long?

FORGIVENESS needs to come to the forefront and be painted over ourselves, people and areas in OUR LIVES.

The hardest part is starting. SO, take a DEEP BREATH. AAAHH! OPEN that door. Turn that doorknob and look forward to a whole NEW SPACE of Joy and hope inside of you.

And if there is nothing but a bit of dusting, that’s good to do too.

Oh, how we all Love a clean, functioning, restful place to dwell in. Both physically in our bedrooms and spiritually, mentally in Our interior Selves.

Great sense of achievement and peace today. Happy Face. Yes, you can smile too.

May these jottings from my journal inspire you to believe in and fall in love with Christ- the hope of the world, as stated in Jeremiah 17:7, ‘Blessed is the man who believes and trusts in and relies on the Lord and whose hope and confident expectation is the Lord!’

Love

Rosemary

Every week groups of ladies meet together to chat about the things I raise in my weekly blog post and to chat about life in general. We call these ‘Heart Connect’ groups. If you would like more information please click HERE.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Do I need to be renewed? Is it time to go through your junk internal wardrobe?

Do you have old habits that need to change? To be renewed? To be thrown out totally or get Refurbished?