I was given a great gift from a friend a couple of years ago, and it continues to impact me to this day.  It was the audio version of CS Lewis’ Mere Christianity.  The added bonus?  It’s narrated by a guy with a British accent.  Fantastic!  It’s as if ‘ole Clive is reading it personally to me in my car.

Combine the four discs of awesomeness and my hour-long (one way) commute to work each day, and you’d be safe to assume that I’ve been through this book at least five times now.  I’ve actually read it on paper once, but I can easily say that listening to the audio version of this work has been most beneficial to me.

This morning I listened to Book III, Chapter 9:  Counting the Cost.  Something really jumped out to me yesterday when I listened:

Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently he starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense.  What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of- throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards.  You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.

That last line is both terrific and terrifying to me.  I believe with all that I am that God intends to invade and take up residence in my often cold, clinched and prideful heart…but He doesn’t leave it there.  He’s going to turn it into something perfect one day.

He won’t pursue anything less.

In this season of leaning hard into God, I’ve found new rooms that I didn’t know existed.  Granted, the old junk room where all the stuff is thrown out of company’s sight is still there, too.  But the door is now opened for all to see.  I want to shut it often, but it’s better to leave it open.  My prayer is that He will continually remind me of that truth.  I think a lot will be better because of it.

Is God remodeling anything in your life right now in particular?

image: sam

My frequency in posting has been downright pathetic lately, and I apologize for those who read here.  I’ve actually contemplated changing this whole site around, perhaps changing the domain to make it more of a music site/blog.  I’m thinking of getting more serious about the whole music thing.  We shall see how that goes.  I’m not much of a networker/marketer, so if I said I didn’t struggle with that I would be lying.  Perhaps I should talk to some people with some knowledge….can’t just sit around.

When I picked my One Word for 2011, I had no idea that I was foreshadowing something that God was going to teach me.  Needless to say, I’ve been doing my best to really lean hard against the truth lately.  I’ve been under more stress in the last few months than I have the last few years.  As I lean into God in all of this, I’m beginning to understand that it’s actually quite a good season to be in.  Don’t get me wrong, though…that last sentence was a hard one to write.

I was comforted today by a portion of the breastplate prayer of St. Patrick.  I’d like to share it with you.

I arise today
Through God’s strength to pilot me:
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptations of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone and in multitude…
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
I arise today.

Going to be reading this every morning as a reminder of whose I am.

I encourage you to join me.