Tag: five minute free write

Defusing the Time-Bomb of an Overstuffed Heart

#Write31Days / Marriage / Motherhood5 Comments
Day 3, Five Minute Prompt: WARDROBE

I live in a country where closets are not the norm. I count my blessings that my children will not be able to terrorize each other by jumping out and screaming like my brother used to do. In lieu of closets, we have giant eye-sore wardrobes.

My wardrobe contains anything from imported candies to hand-crafted wrapping paper but mainly holds my clothes. I’ve tried adding baskets for storage, but it is a mess despite my best efforts. My husband has all but given up trying to put any clean laundry away for fear of what will fly out when he opens the door.

This is so often the condition of my heart: overstuffed with burdens I haven’t dealt with or put in their proper place (those nail-scarred hands). An explosion of hurts and words blows upon those nearest to me.

I would want someone to prevent me getting my face ripped off, if possible, right?

Living the Golden Rule means getting down to the nitty-gritty with God and dealing with it all before anyone is close enough to be affected by the bomb blast. Some days, it will detonate, and there is clean-up for such messes. But, for now, regular maintenance sounds like a good plan.

The Golden Rule means defusing your heart with God before anyone is hurt by the bomb blast

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How do you see the condition of your heart affecting those around you?
Do you need to do some maintenance with God?

Talk to me in the comment section!

 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.  Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.  Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee (Psalm 51:10-13).

 

Money Matters and Pink Nightmares

#Write31Days / Misc.6 Comments
Day 2, Five Minute Prompt: PAINT

Channeling my inner Joanna Gaines, I chose the perfect neutral for the interior walls of my new home on the mission field. I was feeling pretty good about it until the sun streamed in, revealing that my Magnolia dreams had turned into a bubble-gum-pink nightmare.

I furiously pushed the stroller that held my three month old back to the missionary’s house that hosted us. Hot tears streamed down my face as I hurled harsh words at the version of my husband that lives in my head. He had tried to convince me it would look fine after sunset, but who wants to live in a house that only looks good in the dark?

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I would later find out that pink is a popular choice here, and I wouldn’t even be mad when the church building we leased turned up blush from top to bottom. But right now, all I could think of was my decor dreams that suffered an untimely death.

The walls were re-painted the next day. The painters we had hired weren’t as upset with me as my husband was, but they weren’t too pleased about having to do all the work a second time.

When the work was done, my husband accidentally overpaid them by 10,000 rupees (100 USD). They were miles away before anyone was the wiser, but they came back immediately to return the difference.

They didn’t know it, but this act of integrity would help shape a right perspective of these people we came to love and kill my spoiled-brat attitude. I would still have stress dreams about curtains, and our home would be wrecked by an earthquake 10 days later, but my faith that God was working in the details was restored that day.

I strive to be honest in my dealings with others. In a cash society, mindfulness in money exchanging is particularly important. Budding relationships and my gospel testimony in this community are at stake. Money matters.

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Owe no man any thing, but to love one another:

for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law (Romans 13:8).

How we treat others in our financial dealings is important.
In what way can you apply the Golden Rule to money matters today?

Talk to me in the comment section!