A while back, Hannah decided to pull out all the winter gloves and mittens and sort them.
It was quite the task. We threw a few bad ones away, and stored the rest in a box in the basement for next winter.
And we kept a few upstairs to use for working in the garden and around the house.
Gloves are great for working in the dirt--
and leather ones keep you from getting splinters.
And sorting them helps manage them.
Sometimes thoughts and ideas pile up like winter gloves.
They become an unmanageable jumble in your mind.
Some are useful, some aren't.
We don't have to keep all our thoughts around. Some thoughts just plain
have holes in them and need to be rejected and thrown away.
Some are just plain worn out from much wear. We need to think new thoughts!
Others need to be stored in the basement of your mind, where you can find them in time of need.Some are just plain worn out from much wear. We need to think new thoughts!
I read once that Corrie ten Boom kept a notebook to jot down catchy phrases she heard from others in order to share them with others and in her messages
because short clips and catchy phrases will stick and you will remember them.
Clips like--
"Being family is determined more by behavior than blood."
"Pick your battles. Accept people for who they are or who they are not. It's OK to love from a distance."
"Just because some people are fueled by drama does not mean you have to attend the performance."
"Sometimes it seems that the louder a person claims sainthood, the bigger the horns they are hiding."
"Remember to take care of yourself. You can't pour from an empty cup."
It's good to sort your gloves out in the summer, so that they will be matched, organized and ready for use in the winter.
And sometimes we have to sort out our thoughts in a quiet time with God
so that we can meet life's challenges and be armed with truth rather than lies,
so that we can be protected from the cold shoulders and the icy stares and the dirt that is smeared on us, and the splinters and hurts that poke right into our skin and sit there to annoy us and drive us crazy.
Lord, help me as I sort out my thoughts today. Show me which ones coming to my mind that I need to reject. Show me the holes in them, the lies, the inconsistencies. Teach me to throw those out.
Show me the thoughts and ideas that I need to store until later, how to jot down a to-do list of duties that come to mind so that I can focus on one thing at a time and be reminded later of the next thing;
how to write out dreams and goals so that I can see the big picture while taking care of the myriad details of daily responsibilities.
And show me the thoughts that I need to match with your truth and promises.
For my left hand glove of worry, match it with Your right hand glove of peace.
My glove of fear match with Your promises.
My glove of distress match with your faithfulness.
My glove of question, match with a Scriptural answer.
My glove of hurt match with Your healing.
My glove of weakness match with Your strength.
My glove of mistake or sin or falling short in any way match with Your pardon and cleansing.
My glove of desire match with Your will!
Amen.
because short clips and catchy phrases will stick and you will remember them.
Clips like--
"Being family is determined more by behavior than blood."
"Pick your battles. Accept people for who they are or who they are not. It's OK to love from a distance."
"Just because some people are fueled by drama does not mean you have to attend the performance."
"Sometimes it seems that the louder a person claims sainthood, the bigger the horns they are hiding."
"Remember to take care of yourself. You can't pour from an empty cup."
It's good to sort your gloves out in the summer, so that they will be matched, organized and ready for use in the winter.
And sometimes we have to sort out our thoughts in a quiet time with God
so that we can meet life's challenges and be armed with truth rather than lies,
so that we can be protected from the cold shoulders and the icy stares and the dirt that is smeared on us, and the splinters and hurts that poke right into our skin and sit there to annoy us and drive us crazy.
Show me the thoughts and ideas that I need to store until later, how to jot down a to-do list of duties that come to mind so that I can focus on one thing at a time and be reminded later of the next thing;
how to write out dreams and goals so that I can see the big picture while taking care of the myriad details of daily responsibilities.
For my left hand glove of worry, match it with Your right hand glove of peace.
My glove of fear match with Your promises.
My glove of distress match with your faithfulness.
My glove of question, match with a Scriptural answer.
My glove of hurt match with Your healing.
My glove of weakness match with Your strength.
My glove of mistake or sin or falling short in any way match with Your pardon and cleansing.
My glove of desire match with Your will!
Amen.
I did not know that about Carrie Ten Boom, but I have had a notebook like that since I was in high school. Sadly, I haven't written much in it lately. The computer has given the opportunity to follow so many eloquent, smart people via blogs and websites, and then there are the pithy posts on FB, so I have gotten overloaded, I guess!
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