Fill in the Holes
Last night I read a story that has me thinking today. In fact, its directing my prayer time because I'm wondering if God would want to do a work in me this morning as I meet with Him. This story is out of a book I'm reading about a woman who has questions very similar to my own. This portion of her story went like this:
Naomi was re-locating from a rural town, where apartment rent is cheap and affordable, to San Diego, where you can get a 300 square foot studio for triple its value. Finding a place that would fit her budget and accept her golden retriever, India, was proving to be a challenge. Finally, she found a place renting an apartment over a garage, which meant sharing a lawn with the landlord, an older woman with a meticulous lawn. The landlord reluctantly agreed to accept India on a trial basis. Naomi and India moved in immediately.
The next morning, Naomi woke up to find that India had dug, not a hole, but a pit in the middle if this perfect lawn. Scared that her hopes of being home were dashed, Naomi went to apologize to her landlord. Her landlord met her with grace and filled the pit back in with the dirt that India had carefully placed all over the yard. The next morning, Naomi woke up to the same problem. She apologied again and was met with the same grace as before. This happened a few more times with the same result.
At the end of the week, Naomi left for few hours in the afternoon to run errands, expecting to come home to the same problem. She was positive at any moment she and her pit-digging dog would be kicked to the curb. However, when she arrived home, she saw that in place of the pit was planted a beautiful tree that made the meticulous lawn more attractive than it had ever been. It was so pretty, that it made you wonder how the lawn had existed without it for so long. The landlord said, "Isn't it a wonderful way to use a hole?"
I'm thinking about this story. I feel a contradiction in my life. Jesus says that all His fullness is within me and I in Him. Yet, in some areas of my life I feel nothing but gaping wide pits, lacking of fullness. These pits are ugly to me and wounding. It feels like nothing good can or will ever come of those places. But, the truth I know about God is that He,makes beauty from ashes. If I abide in Him long enough, it's an inevitable occurrance that I will see. Where I see a hideous, shameful hole, He sees a place to plant life and bring forth fruit. My prayer this morning is, "God, what kind of life do you see birthing out of this lack and how can I partner with You to tend it?" Jesus said that He came so that I might have life abundant. How literally can I take Him at this word? Thank God I'm a work in progress and not a work finished. Because, in Him today there is hope for more transformation into the identity of the Life Giver and more hope that beauty will arise and surprise me.
Naomi was re-locating from a rural town, where apartment rent is cheap and affordable, to San Diego, where you can get a 300 square foot studio for triple its value. Finding a place that would fit her budget and accept her golden retriever, India, was proving to be a challenge. Finally, she found a place renting an apartment over a garage, which meant sharing a lawn with the landlord, an older woman with a meticulous lawn. The landlord reluctantly agreed to accept India on a trial basis. Naomi and India moved in immediately.
The next morning, Naomi woke up to find that India had dug, not a hole, but a pit in the middle if this perfect lawn. Scared that her hopes of being home were dashed, Naomi went to apologize to her landlord. Her landlord met her with grace and filled the pit back in with the dirt that India had carefully placed all over the yard. The next morning, Naomi woke up to the same problem. She apologied again and was met with the same grace as before. This happened a few more times with the same result.
At the end of the week, Naomi left for few hours in the afternoon to run errands, expecting to come home to the same problem. She was positive at any moment she and her pit-digging dog would be kicked to the curb. However, when she arrived home, she saw that in place of the pit was planted a beautiful tree that made the meticulous lawn more attractive than it had ever been. It was so pretty, that it made you wonder how the lawn had existed without it for so long. The landlord said, "Isn't it a wonderful way to use a hole?"
I'm thinking about this story. I feel a contradiction in my life. Jesus says that all His fullness is within me and I in Him. Yet, in some areas of my life I feel nothing but gaping wide pits, lacking of fullness. These pits are ugly to me and wounding. It feels like nothing good can or will ever come of those places. But, the truth I know about God is that He,makes beauty from ashes. If I abide in Him long enough, it's an inevitable occurrance that I will see. Where I see a hideous, shameful hole, He sees a place to plant life and bring forth fruit. My prayer this morning is, "God, what kind of life do you see birthing out of this lack and how can I partner with You to tend it?" Jesus said that He came so that I might have life abundant. How literally can I take Him at this word? Thank God I'm a work in progress and not a work finished. Because, in Him today there is hope for more transformation into the identity of the Life Giver and more hope that beauty will arise and surprise me.
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