Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name. Psalm 86:11 (KJV)
Contemporary saint Elisabeth Elliot mentions in one of her books that she attended boarding school where the headmistress required students to keep the oriental rugs (and the fringe?) straight. I look around at the rugs on my floors that have corners nibbled by decades of puppies and fringes worn down to the warp (foundation). If Ms. Elliot ever comes to visit, I will have to remove the rugs so I can “measure up.”
Or not? God didn’t call me to be Elisabeth Elliot or Mother Theresa or Ruth Graham or Julian of Norwich. I would love to think that being part of our household drew to Jesus the foster children, extra cousins, and children of friends who needed a home. But I didn’t prioritize the rugs – instead, they warmed the house and added comfort. We did have a couple of grandchildren who lived with us, and, to my astonishment, one actually went around straightening the fringes.
What God calls one saint to do may not be the calling of another. We all have our own disciplines that he uses, and they are tailored individually for us. Let’s not feel inadequate because our rugs are out of order, but let’s stay tuned (and obedient) to what our personal Lord calls us.
Father, open our ears to your voice, and give us a heart for obedience. Keep us from the temptation of measuring ourselves by others. Instead, be our measuring stick and lead us in your ways. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
agodforeveryday 
One of my rugs got the fridge so tangled that I just cut it off. Your blog today made me think of the verse “If any man be in Christ He is a NEW creature, old things have past away behold all things have become new” HE straightens out (or cuts off) our tangles. Thank you so much for the blog.
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Pam, isn’t it great that God is the one who works in us? Even with our best intentions, all we can do is have a willingness to allow him to work, and HE DOES. Thanks for your comments.
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