May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus,that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:5-6 (ESV)
Last fall, I got the hankering for new living room furniture. Our old furniture was exactly that-old. It was fake leather and an ugly shade of brown. When we bought it several years ago, it was not what I wanted, but it was cheap and available. Right price, right time. So, we bought it. But, I didn’t like it from the moment we unloaded it off husband’s car hauler trailer. It made the living room dark and the overstuffed couch and chairs were uncomfortable to sit on. Still, we hung on to it because we couldn’t afford anything else. I hoped that the fake leather would hold up despite the wear and tear of having big dogs who think we bought it just for them. That didn’t happen. In recent years, Lucy has become incontinent. Fake leather is no match for dog pee. It started peeling off in strips. Last fall envisioning the hordes of family who come for Christmas I started looking for new furniture. After shopping at consignment and thrift stores, I found some pretty furniture in an unlikely place-Big Lots, a discount store that sells food, household supplies and surprisingly, furniture. Well made, American made, name brand, furniture. The sofa, ottoman and one chair are a pretty denim shade of flannel with another chair in off white with blue flowers. I liked it a lot and though it was smaller in size than what we were getting rid of which meant less seating, I decided to get it. Remembering how the dogs messed up our last furniture, I kept the new furniture covered with old bedspreads and mousetraps (an old trick to keep dogs off the furniture). For six months, I only pulled off the coverings when we had company. Though I admired the colors and styles for the short time they were uncovered, I was afraid to leave them exposed. Then, a few weeks ago, I realized how much I was missing keeping the furniture covered with those ugly bedspreads. So, I put them away and left only the mousetraps in place (no longer set, they are still enough deterrent to keep the dogs on the floor. One or two snaps was all it took). Now, I have the pleasure of seeing my pretty furniture any time I walk into the room. What a difference it makes in our whole house! And in my desire to keep the room clean. I was thinking about how much I like my newly “naked” furniture as I remembered how as Christians, we are called to be transparent. If we are hurting or struggling so often we try to keep it covered up, we hide from others that our lives are not perfect. Yet, sharing our troubles not to only makes them easier to bear, but encourages others who are also going through hard times. Christ calls us to be transparent, to share our burdens with others. No one is perfect, but together, we can be strong and beautiful.
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