Painting, Preparation, Process

I am starting 2010 in an unconventional way. I am not taking my Christmas decorations down this weekend- I just don't feel like it! Which, I typically like to get them all put away before returning to work after my extended Christmas break. Then, I wanted to write a 2009 year in review, but that may come on my next post... ha, ha! So today I painted my bathroom. That was the project I had during my break, which started on Tuesday. I always feel like projects teach me a lot about myself as well as about life! Painting truly is a process. Because it is a process, I could feel this impatience bubbling up inside, an anxiousness to get to the fun part. My dad came over and helped me remove all of my towel racks and taught me about caulking and spackling. That was the first day. Then I had to spackle a couple of times and then follow by sanding. Next up was getting the painter's tape all around the edges. Preparation takes a long time! I felt no where near what I wanted to see: Spring Waterfall on my walls! I love the Christmas song Joy to the World. Of course there is the verse that says, "Let every heart prepare Him room" and I have been thinking about the preparation process. Wow, what does that look like, the preparation of hearts? The preparation of a heart to receive Christ, the preparation of a heart to let Him reign, for changed lives by the Holy Spirit. Then I got to thinking about prayer- oh, do NOT lose heart in prayer! At times we cannot see with our physical eyes, it may appear there is no change in a circumstance, in a person; but may I pose the question....are you co-laboring with the Holy Spirit in the preparation period?!! Whhoo hooo! That gets me pumped! Faith is the evidence of things not seen, the substance of things hoped for. OK- good thing you are not here with me right now as I type as I am shouting! I looked up the Hebrews 11 verse to make sure of the correct wording, okay- wow, wow, and one more wow, verse 3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. Oh Lord! So be of good courage! Trust in the LORD for He is good!!! And guess what....today was the unseen becoming visible- my first coat of Spring Waterfall is now on my bathroom walls- soon the fun will begin by accessorizing!