Since we are postponing our Journey to Joy, temporarily, I wanted to share with you something that happened yesterday that really inspired me.  I was already thinking about Jesus being the Vine and the branches from yesterday’s post and God worked through my children to teach me more about how Abiding in the Vine can help prepare us to bear the fruit of the spirit – to reiterate that apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5-11, Gal 5:22-23). So today’s post comes to you courtesy of Sonlight Homeschool Curriculum.  Our memory verse for this week is: Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me (Rev 3:20).  We (me and my Sweet Girl and Boy) were discussing this and so here is kind of how it went…

Me: Jesus is the one knocking.  Do y’all know where the door is?

My Boy: Heaven? [I have to admit, this is always a good guess when studying the Bible…and I am pretty sure that his dad has NOT been playing him Guns n Roses’ (or any other) version of “Knock, Knock, Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”]

Me: No.  Jesus is knocking on the door to your heart, like if He came to our front door, should we let HIm in?

Both: Yeah!

Me: But what if our house is messy?

Both: Silence [pssst! What is the right answer???]

Me: What if our floor was dirty and we hadn’t done the dishes?  What if our toilet was dirty??  [giggles here]  Would we still let Him in?

Both: Silence [Lady, you are really tricky!]

Me: Remember Niecy Nash on Clean House?  On the show, Niecy helped people who had a lot of junk in their houses.  Some of these people had been collecting all kinds of stuff – some of it was good stuff, but a ton of it was just garbage and it needed to be thrown away.  She helped them to sort through their things to find the good stuff to keep and to see how the garbage was dragging them down.  And then she helped them throw out the junk.  After that, Niecy would come in with an interior designer and  they would rearrange furniture and paint walls and put in new flooring.  At the end of the show, the people had a great, new, clean house and they were amazed because they never knew they could still be happy without the junk they had been holding onto. In the same way, Jesus is willing to accept us as we really are – a big mess.  We don’t have to get everything in our hearts cleaned up for Him before He comes in – if we open the door, He will enter in and show us how to make our hearts a better place, a place where He  can live.  [Programming note: Niecy is no longer the host of the show, but she was on the episodes we watched].

 My Sweet Girl remembered how Mary’s sister, Martha, felt pressured to get everything just right for Jesus when He came to her house.  She was so mad because her sister was not helping her!   Mary was spending time with hanging out with Jesus instead.  He told her,  “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:42). 

We decided that we would remind each other, on those days when we struggle (cranky Mommy, pouty brother, or grouchy sister)…we will just tap ever so slightly on the table or the wall.  Because sometimes we forget all that Jesus has done for us and things in our hearts start to get junky again…knock, knock, knock.  After all, we want to continue to make Jesus welcome in our hearts.  

Anyone else have a tendency to get messy sometimes?

JustaGirl…just like you!