Hatin' the purifying. Lovin' the Purifier.

We’ve had a rough 2 weeks. The lack of sleep can been seen on us clearly and our nerves… well, they’re pretty shot. If we could describe in a phrase what life has been like the words “assault on comfort” would be fitting. The oven. Dead. The washer. Dead. Faucets- leaking. The original state of the house- filty. Mice. Droppings. Bugs. Purging of things because they will not fit into these tiny spaces. Looking for new things to replace the old to live but having a hard time because they’re not small enough to fit into the spaces. Spinning our wheels trying to find the things we need at prices we can afford. Could things be worse? Absolutely! Are we big fat sinners in need of an attitude adjustment? Absooooolutely-tootly.


It's amazing how God can use these aggravating times in life to bring to the surface junk He wants to scrap off. Harsh words spoken in aggravation. Scrap. Ingratitude. Scrap. Quickness to assume the worst. Scraaaaap. All of this scraping off is NOT fun. But we’re thankful that even in this He is making us more like His Son and teaching us that the things of this world cannot satisfy but only He can. He wants us to live lives of gratitude no matter what our circumstances are like. As I have griped this week about the conditions we’ve been living in my thoughts have turned to our babies a lot. Where are they living right now? Does their orphanage have a washer? Probably not. Are there bugs and mice and nuisances running around? I’m pretty sure there are. Are they cramped in extremely tiny living quarters? I’d say 3 babies to a crib is pretty tight. But are their nannies and other children there complaining? Likely not; because that is life and they know no other.


We have a roof over our heads. Food to eat. Friends who have bent over backwards to help us the last 2 weeks. Jobs that provide. Family that care. Babies awaiting us. Most of all, a God who has adopted us from this sin-stained world and has brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves. And promises. Many, many precious promises. That one day we will see Him face to face. And we will dance in a mansion filled with many rooms. Praising Him all the days of our lives for redeeming us from the pit and bringing us into His home. A home of acceptance. A home of forgiveness. A home where there will be no more tears or aggravations or trials or longings. In light of all He’s done for us how can we not rejoice in Him in all circumstances?!


So today. In the midst of the broken cabinets, and pipes leaking, and appliances dead we made a conscious decision in the car to rejoice. To praise God for His goodness. And to fix our eyes on Him. We chose at 7:45am to believe the words we are trying to memorize in 1 John chapter 3 this week. “Beloved, we are God’s children NOW, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.” (v.2-3). We’re God’s children now. And we want to hope in Him no matter how we feel. I hate the purifying. But I love the Purifier who is working out all of these things for our good and His glory.