No Excuses

The story you are about to hear is REAL! No names were changed to protect the innocent (Cause I am totally guilty!). Prepare yourself folks for a story of intrigue and duh- duh- duh... DRAMA!

It all happened last night at approximately 6-ish pm. I was having a pretty light day. I had finished organizing my two youngest boy's bedroom, and was thinking about gathering my kids for ice cream and sock sorting later, because that is the sexy high roller that I am. When all of the sudden, the phone rang. It was my handsome husband on the other line. He was on his way to a long meeting (lucky). He told me he had just gotten off the phone with the appraiser and that the guy would be coming at 8:00 in the morning to appraise our home! We are refinancing for a cheaper interest rate and I wanted the house to be at its best for the appraisal.

As I quickly looked down at my watch, I realized it had been TWO and a HALF YEARS since I had pealed 98% of the ugliest wall paper you have ever seen off my master bathroom walls. For years I have had big plans and zero budget, so it has sat in all its sheet rock / mostly (badly) pealed wall paper state for a loooooong time. However, the appraiser was coming and I have logged enough HGTV hours to know that bathrooms are a big resale point.

So, mustering all my ADHD (no really) enthusiasm I vowed today... I mean... in the next 14 hours-ish I would get the house clean and redo the bathroom! Now, you might not know me, but oh yes girlfriend it was on! Two trips to Lowes later, I had the cutest rug for my boy's bedroom (because everyone knows that helps you paint faster), and all the supplies I needed to redo the bathroom! I had bought some paint on sale a few months ago for my garage (beige), and I decided to use it in the bathroom because I would save money.

I bought four big bottles of this spray on texture and covered the walls. SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: Friends don't let friends drive after spraying on that stuff... WOW...
use a fan! The bottle said I could paint after 30 minutes, so I used my wait time to wipe off the excess texture that covered hmm let me think.... EVERYTHING! I was then ready to paint.

Do you remember that I was using paint I had bought for my garage walls? Well, let me just say it does look better than sheet rock, but if I were to name this color I would call it bunny poo number 7. It isn't bad or good. It is just brown... in a milkshake kind of way. All in all, the painting, cleaning, and accessorizing only took about four and a half hours! The house was mainly clean. So, cleaning was minimal and I was happily in my bed around midnight.I felt very vindicated the next day when the appraiser said he needed to take pictures of our living areas, a bedroom, the kitchen, and BOTH BATHROOMS! It was like clouds parted and the Hallelujah Chorus played as he took that bathroom picture and my work had not been in vain!

Now, the funniest thing is I don't know if it was the texture fumes or just the thought of rushing; but I had to laugh out loud while I was painting because I started thinking about the story of the ten virgins. It is an amazing parable found in Matthew 25.

When Christ told the story He said, "At that day the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps out to meet the bridegroom." (vs 1) Christ then goes onto tell this amazing tale of how five virgins were ready and five were foolish. The groom had taken longer than they had expected, and the five that didn't have enough oil for their lamps, tried to bum some off the other girls. The girls with oil said,"NU UH... get your own oil." So, while they were off getting the oil the groom arrived and the five who were prepared went into the wedding banquet (and partied) and the doors were shut! When the girls came back they asked to be let in , but they weren't allowed to enter (the groom said, "I don't know you). Jesus ends the parable by saying, "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour." (vs 13... speaking about Christ's return)

I was laughing because, in the middle of the bathroom redo, I wasn't sure that if Christ were to tell my painting story (as a parable); if I would be considered one who was prepared for the next day, or the one locked out. All in all I was pleased and I think I was ready.

Do you ever do life or church like that? As some turbo last minute project? It could be teaching a lesson, or planning an event, or buying goldfish crackers (don't forget the goldfish... it can get ugly). You rush through, or you grab yarn at your house because you don't have time to get the fishing line that the project calls for. Sometimes we are just busy and brown poo number 7 is the best we can do. Sometimes we just put things off and brown poo number 7 is what ends up on our bathroom walls, and we now see it daily! Sometimes, sometimes, sometimes can start to add up. It is important to remember that awesome parable. That parable is about being ready for Christ's return.

How do we stay or even get ready for Christ's return? Well, I think one way is to make sure we don't compromise. Compromising is when there are one too many "sometimes" or "just this last time" in our vocabulary. Honestly, I am glad Paul called himself "The Chief of all Sinners." It gives me a happy sigh inside to know God is working on us all (even the guy He used to write most of the New Testament). So know I am not talking about perfection. Rather I am talking about not compromising. It is simply this. How much of us does God want? He wants all. When we compromise, even in just one little area, it can spread like an infection across our lives. Compromise makes us grumpy or resentful about fulfilling what God has called us to do. It might not even be the area we are compromising in, because sin is never satisfied with just that one area. It is looking for a foothold to bring you down. As a leader you need to know that because you are the messenger of Matthew 25. You need to be sending the message out,"Be ready for Christ's return!" Compromise makes you compromise that message.

Are you compromising in an area of your life? Chances are you might just be, because you my friend are a sinner saved by grace. What to do then? It is soooo easy. Ask God to show you, and then repent. Seek God's Word and know that getting rid of poor habits and thoughts is usually a process. I think God likes it that way, because when we really seek him and have to work at it, we find so much peace when we finally turn that area over to God.

Ask someone you know and trust (preferably someone you have known a very long time) to be your accountability partner. Let iron sharpen iron. Finally, make no excuses. Just be honest. You might find yourself saying to God, "I didn't make time, or I don't like that part of my life or ministry so I avoid it." Being honest takes you on a great journey of seeking God. Being honest begins to say "I will" instead of "I would, but".

What do you do to guard against compromise? What do you have to say about this subject?

1 Peter 1: 14-15 "So you must live as God's obedient children. Don't slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn't know any better then. But now you must be Holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy." (Side note: 1 Peter 1: 13-25 is a call to Holy Living... great read!)