“Mirror, Mirror, on the back of the door. Who is this trouble maker that I bore?”
My son brings me great joy. He is funny and bright. He gives great hugs and loves to snuggle and read. He has the best belly laugh. But he can meltdown like the best (or worst) of them. The three year old has already figured out his mommy’s buttons and likes to push them. He is learning right from wrong and sometimes the hard way. A year and a half ago we purchased a new to us 30 year old home. We fell in love with the location, the big back yard and the beautiful countertops in the kitchen. The floor plan was great and I liked the big mirror the original owner had put on the back of one of the bedroom doors. The rest of the house could be cleaned, painted and upgraded one project at a time. When I was a kid we did a play at church called Colby’s Clubhouse. The one and only song I remember from the play went something like this… “Kids under construction, maybe the paint is still wet. Kids under construction, the Lord might not be finished yet.” This song routinely pops into my head when I’m walking through my house and see a maroon carpet I can’t wait to tear out, loose electrical outlets and sliding door pulls that need replaced.
This house reminds me to be patient with myself and my husband, son, friends and neighbors. We are all a work in progress.
Renovations take time. Philippians 1:6 tells us, “Being confident of this very thing He who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.” God had outstanding blue prints when he created us. In Jeremiah 1:5 God said, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.” But then sin entered the scene and those perfect plans were altered. Thankfully, God doesn’t want to leave us to rot and decay in this condition. He’s ready to roll up His sleeves and restore one area of our hearts at a time, much like we are working on one home improvement project at time. Remember that darling three year old that is testing the limits and that beautiful mirror on the back of his bedroom door? One of his favorite past times is making funny faces in that mirror and watching light bounce around the room when he shines a flashlight into it. There was a passionate fit played out recently and in the process his head came in contact with the door. Thankfully the mirror cracked and not my child’s head. My son was physically unharmed. But oh, his willful spirit was broken in that moment. He instantly stopped his tantrum and threw his arms around me and let me hold him. When he dried his eyes he pointed at the mirror and said, “Mama, I broke my mirror. I’m so sorry. Daddy will fix it, right?” I bore a son who sins, but I’m so thankful his first response was repentance. I pray my heart will always respond the same.
“Oh sweet boy,” I said, “I forgive you. Daddy will forgive you. We love you.” Then we prayed.
And I told my son that Jesus forgave him. I told him a paraphrased version of the following verse; 1 John 1:9, “God is faithful and reliable. If we confess our sins, he forgives them and cleanses us from everything we have done wrong.” I really liked that mirror. I’m sad to see it go. But I wouldn’t trade that moment with my son for a million mirrors. People are more important than things. Jesus told us to store up treasures in heaven. My child’s soul is way more important than a mirror. His Daddy took the shattered mirror down this weekend. We cleaned the door and filled the holes. The door will get a fresh coat of paint someday…we’ll add it to the project list. He hung a new mirror in a safer place in our bedroom today. My son has a new place to make silly faces with his father. Much like his Heavenly Father, his Daddy loves that boy and wants to give him a do-over. “Mirror, Mirror, no longer on the back of the door. Who is this child that I bore?” He is greatly loved. He is forgiven. He is a work in progress just like me. We have painted nearly every room, replaced door knobs, curtain rods, patched a few holes and replaced broken items on our kitchen appliances, scoured this house and thrown out items the previous owner left behind. Similarly, God took my hardened, hate filled heart and replaced it with his overwhelming love and joy. He has repaired my broken heart and He has helped me rip out destructive thoughts and behaviors. Much like our “to do list” for this house goes on, God is still working on me. Thankfully, God is not only in the creation business, He is in the repairing and replacing business too. He wants nothing more than to restore and improve His relationship with you. What does He want to do in you? Say a prayer and let the renovating commence! Christ wants to make your heart his home—and He loves us fixer-uppers.
2 Comments
Tiffany Tremaine
12/28/2016 08:50:13 am
Oh, Michelle, what a wonderful reminder! God Bless you and Thank you for your words.
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Myrle Canonge
1/2/2017 03:28:07 pm
Thank you for sharing this, Michelle. It deeply touched my heart. Tears run down my face as I think about God's forgiveness and unending love for all of us under construction.
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About MeI love Jesus. I think my two daughters can change the world. I think you can too. Past Posts
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