I went downstairs and proceeded to do about two hours of intense stretching. (I did say "awoke *early*.")
Through the stretches, the deep breathing.... and the pain (hello!), I say things like, "Lord, take this tension. Take all the tension from all the years now gone. I choose to release it from this body, Lord...."
I have been amazed ...truly amazed... at how much freer I am not just in body, but mind, soul, and spirit.
We store things up, don't we? Both positive and negative. For years and years. Sometimes not even consciously doing so.
Our bodies, if we are not careful, become a type of store house. For many, we pack our store house to the brim. It is dark, unkempt, dusty, and musty.... and perhaps even moldy from the tears we shed and kept...instead of turning over to the Lord.
In contrast, I believe we were created to be a beautiful, clean, open building of exchange...of invite. Even now, I picture my building with lots and lots of windows.... raised, of course (anyone who knows me - knows the windows MUST be raised!) A cool fall breeze is blowing through. I cleaned house for two hours this morning. It's just beautiful.... and it becomes more and more beautiful every time I take time to tend to my being's house.
Some of you need to learn how to begin. Take the smallest box.... or the smallest corner... but START.
I have this car ornament that hangs from my rear view mirror. I ran out to the garage just now and snapped a picture for you.
It is an ongoing reminder to me that the past is just that ....passed. And the more I focus on the condition of my house today, the more it becomes a beautiful dwelling I truly enjoy.
A clean house before the Lord is a peaceful house. It's light and airy.
A clean house is a house prepared for His habitation. Oh, the joy!
I want Him to enjoy being in my house as much as I want to enjoy being in my house.
During my time this morning, the instructor was talking about one of the reasons deep breathing is so important during intense stretching is that as the body fights to let go of the tension, the mind's instruction to go into deep methodical breathing overrides the body's fight, and through the mind the nervous system overrides the body's muscles, requiring the body to let go.
The scientist in me loves that. It's science confirming the Word, where the spirit directs the mind and the mind the body... down to the most basic physical functions.
Breathing is a constant reminder of "starting a-fresh" with every new breath. I like that.
I then opened the Word and I was directed to on-going concepts of sowing and the coming judgement of Christ. I get that for some that concept of judgement can bring an initial cringe because decisions made earlier in life weren't in line with God's ways, but here's the Good News. YOU can start a-fresh... TODAY.
Every day brings new opportunity to sow wisely. With every passing day of WISE sowing, guess what you are going to yield? GOOD fruit! Fruit you will want to share! Fruit you will actually possess to share!
Two months ago, when I started this intense, methodical stretching, I could hardly do any of it. I was as stiff as a buckboard. Today, I can bend in crazy ways. Reminds me of that song, "I am a tree, bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy...." (You know how I love tree symbolism!)
So, today.... wherever YOU are.... take courage.... inspect your house.... your body... internal and external..... and begin.... taking baby steps if needs be... "a box" ... "a corner"... somewhere...anywhere you feel prompted .... and start.
Tomorrow's harvest depends on your start today.
Isaiah 30: 21-22 states, "You will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, 'Be gone!' THEN He will give you rain for the seed which you will sow in the ground, and bread from the yield of the ground, and it will be rich and plenteous; on that day your livestock will graze in a roomy pasture."
Take a moment to re-read this passage and meditate on it a few moments.
Notice the "cleaning out of the house" - Different people have different idols, but we ALL have them... be they people, or things, or ideas of what should have been or what was/is or what we think will be....BUT whatever they are to YOU, YOU have to eradicate them from your life! (God will NOT do this for you!)
.... THEN faithful planting .....
...... THEN HE promises to rain on the seed YOU plant (If you don't plant, there is nothing for Him to water. Hello!)
...... THEN the promise of plenty.
There is an order to the process. You can't skip steps.... or worse yet, walk in the delusion that somehow the "plenty" will come without even starting the process! (HELLO!)
Today, I challenge you: start a-fresh. Take the time to clean, then to sow.
May YOUR house be a peaceful, delightful, clean house for your being and for God Himself!
Open the windows, let the wind blow through, perhaps for the first time... sit a while with God....have a cup of tea or coffee together... breathe deep.... talk or don't talk.... you may just want to sit silently with Him.... but START....start methodically and intentionally stewarding your house...physically, mentally, emotionally ..... the residence of your being and of God....
♡Godspeed♡
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