Christ's Sanctifying Quarantine

My husband and I decided our front walk-way would look fabulous lined with brick to create a matchy matchy with the brick on our house. We started by hiring professionals to lay a solid cement foundation to keep the bricks from moving. We researched how to lay brick, what mortar to use and shopped several locations before deciding on what brick would line our walkway. In spring 2019, we marked out several weekends for working on the project. We never anticipated the projecting dragging on a year later. Yet, there we were, trying to complete the hardest home project to date in spring 2020. As we ventured into this unknown, there were mistakes made, problems to resolve and solutions to find. What seemed like a doable home project quickly became overwhelming. 

As we sit here during quarantine, a time that seems to be dragging on like our brick project, I'm asking myself, "what is the Lord trying to show me during this time?" This event in our lives brought us all home, slowed our schedules and gifted us with more time as a family. As I had to adjust my mind and heart to the slower pace of our schedule, it certainly wasn't easy. I can't imagine taking these daily steps without a foundation built on Jesus Christ. Recently, I came across this verse "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God" Psalm 20:7. We can have all the things...the stocked fridge, a great career, nice home, good health and even enough toilet paper...BUT if we don't have Christ, that's not a foundation at all.  

                                            

Part of our brick project included layering mortar in-between each brick. During this step, we decided to place several layers of mortar slowly to allow for drying time. This took up two full weekends of sweating over brick while also wrangling kids. As I think about these layers of "glue" that will keep the bricks in their place, I'm drawn to the realization that Christ is placing layers around me in this unique time. He's drawing me closer to what is truly essential and layering His truths around my heart and mind. He's solidifying me into His foundation. The closer Jesus pulls me in, the more I'm stretched and shown my impurities and the areas I still need to clean...brick by brick in my heart and mind. 

As we've moved through shelter in place, the areas of my life in need of cleaning have come to the surface...impatience on display, attitude, misplaced anger, idols and selfish desires to name a few. James 1:2-4 says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. That perseverance takes stepping into the difficult work ahead not because we're ready but because we're willing. As we move forward into His plan for our lives, the Lord is using these moments to cleanse the residue from our hearts. 

We've spent hours cleaning the motor residue left behind on the bricks. The project was eventually completed but not without hours of dedicated strength, endurance and lots of tears. Christ's sanctifying quarantine has been doing the same back-breaking work in my heart and mind. When I'm feeding on the truth from God's Word, I'm reminded He will walk through the difficulty with us. May we move forward without wasting these moments and may we come out changed. Unlike the brick on our walk-way, when the Lord completes His work in our lives we will lack nothing.

                                              

For more encouragement read: Poem: Gift of a Simpler Time

Sharing the days of childhood to display the importance of motherhood. 

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