Do Not Disturb

When you travel, do you use the "Do Not Disturb" sign?

On a trip, we do this hoping to find peace and quiet. However, eventually we need clean towels, soap, and trash service.

We need resources to keep us moving and functioning well.

My pastor taught from the Book of James in December 2021 about the idea of hanging a "Do Not Disturb" sign on our hearts and lives.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do." (James 1: 1-8 NIV emphasis added)

He shared, "Many of us walk around with a 'Do Not Disturb' sign around our necks, but when we do that the towels pile up. We run out of what keeps us clean."

Our hearts pile up with trials that weigh us down and that we won't let God clean out.

[Insert personal conviction.]

I have journals full of hopes, desires, and prayers for the Christ-like life I want to live, marriage I want to nurture, and daughter we are trying to raise.

However, I haven't removed the "Do Not Disturb" sign from all the rooms in my heart, so God can do the "housework" needed for that end result.

I visualize that most days, I'm tripping over dirty towels and only have a sliver of soap left by the tub.

Knowing that I have to change my actions if I expect a different result, I wrote this prayer in December 2021:

"Father God-- I'm so tired. My wheels are spinning daily. My dirty towels seem to have piled up. I'm so overwhelmed by the "housework" that I'm paralyzed and doing NOTHING-- literally nothing but existing. You did not give me a spirit of fear but of VICTORY! Lord, take these life burdens and let my light be magnified for Your glory. Amen."

In recent years, I've been picking a word as a focus for the upcoming new year.

For 2022, I chose HOUSEKEEPING.

Housework implies I'm doing it alone. HOUSEKEEPING reminds me that I'm unlocking the door for the Holy Spirit's helping hand.

HOUSEKEEPING Update: June 2022-- I'm not in a hotel room but my home. All my personal belongings are covering the bed and floor. God and I have pulled all my emotional and relational clothes and accessories from the closet, so we can evaluate them one-by-one asking myself, "Keep? Share? Trash?" There have been tears, laughter over things I've held onto that are majorly "out of fashion," and I've had to step out into the hallway more than once to compose myself before ultimately deciding on the trash pile.

Friends, do something today that will move you toward living the life you have imagined. The work will be hard no matter what, but we can hang our lives on a promise that the reward is worth it.