We were especially thankful for the great weather that day BECAUSE of what has made these past weeks so interesting! Ken and I have decided to finally bite the bullet and do some very much needed home improvement projects. And the biggest project (so far) is to replace all of the flooring on the first floor. This required us (and by us, I mean mostly Ken) to remove several layers of tile from the last 39 years! What a big mess! Complicating this process is the fact that we have a very small home and very little room to move things around. I just have to keep reminding myself that it will be so nice when it is completed! And since we are redoing the flooring, it makes sense to remove our very nasty kitchen cabinets at the same time and finally have an updated kitchen.
I thought that I was prepared for this project - but I had no idea how many decisions we would have to make! Picking out the flooring was actually the easiest part. We had to figure out how to remove the old tile. How to dispose of all the garbage (a special plug for the Bagster Dumpster - it was simply amazing for us. After purchasing the bag we decided to set it up inside our garage. It worked great. There is no time limit on the disposal so we could take as long as needed to fill it up. And just a couple days ago, we dragged it to the curb (with the help of the car) and they picked it up and hauled it away. We will soon be starting on bag number two!) Then suddenly we were talking about replacing all of the interior doors in our house. And changing the doors to the laundry area. Then it was figuring out if it made sense to replace our cabinets and then finding ones that would fit the space. Each time we seemed to have things decided, one more thing would come up.
As of right now, we have a concrete floor in half of our downstairs and are close to actually starting to install the new floor. We are still "in process" of preparing the floor (removing all of the adhesive and cleaning and sealing the concrete) but it finally feels like this new floor will get done! And then it will be on the kitchen cabinets! Of course we need a new counter top and back splash. More decisions. It would be nice to think that this would be the end of the project, but then it will be on to the other half of our downstairs and then drywall repairs and paint! Have you noticed just how many colors of paint there are these days? There is an entire aisle of paint chips to choose from. My head is spinning just thinking about it.
I was thinking about how many times one decision you make ends up leading to more and more decisions. You know what I mean - you decide to buy a car but then WHICH car? And then what options and what color. Even deciding on a vacation..... when, where - fly or drive. It just never seems to end. So many decisions. If you were to stop and really think about all of the decisions you make in an average day, you would be astounded. When to get out of bed, what to wear, what to eat, what route to take to work. You get the idea. Life is making decisions!
I was thinking about this song I Have Decided to Follow Jesus, by Elevation Worship. The most important decision anyone can make. I am personally so thankful for that decision that has changed everything about my life. After listening to that song, all of the decisions we have to make about our home improvement project, every decision I make during the day - well, they all seem rather small and not nearly worth the worry that I have been putting into them. It will not really matter, in the long run, what color flooring we use. Or what cabinets we choose. All of these are just THINGS. Things that are here today but could be gone tomorrow. With the current events - hurricanes, fires, floods, earthquakes - it is especially good to remember that. Today I heard the Governor of Florida reminding the people that material things can be replaced. Stay safe and keep your family safe. Yes, tomorrow, as Ken and I are making yet another decision for this project, I will remind myself that this really doesn't matter in the long run. And tonight, because I made that decision to follow Jesus, I will be thanking Him for all that He has provided for me - my family, my home my life.
Jesus, thank you. Thank you for your presence with me that brings peace, even during times of tough decisions. Holy Spirit, continue to draw people into your great love and to know and follow Jesus. Thank you for a renewed perspective on decision making. Jesus, please keep all those in the midst of these disasters close to you. Thank you for your great love. Amen
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