February 8, 2013

Fixer-Upper

rotting yellow househouse
(Country Living photos)

Several years ago we sold our house. We had lived there for a while; long enough to put a few holes in the walls, break a faucet, see some wear and tear on doors, walls, carpets, etc. So when it came time to sell we had to "fix it up." Little things here and there were taken care of over the course of a week or so and by the time we were ready to go on the market I felt like I was living a new home! It was wonderful. The walls and floors looked so nice! There were no squeaks...the water came out of the kitchen faucet in a nice steady stream...the carpet was back to it's original color. I was asking myself (and my husband) why had we not done all of these things sooner! It wasn't too difficult, it didn't cost that much and the results were terrific.

What the HECK!?

I think this is a good analogy for the way we are with our bodies--the home God has given us to live in for the time being. He made us in an awesome and wonderful way. But the things that we have put into our bodies, the neglect that happens over time can make it a not-so-fun place to be. It can almost feel like we're trapped in a terrible place.

But we have the power to change that! Small repairs make a huge difference. Breaking one habit and replacing it with another. Getting out for a few minutes each day to move. Spending some extra time at the grocery store to pick out items that will benefit the body rather than harm it. It only takes a few small changes to begin to see that if we care for our bodies the way they were made to be cared for we will be happy to live inside them!

I don't want to wait for depression to set in again or a dire health diagnosis to decide to change. That's just like waiting until we were about to sell the house to make the improvements. We could have had the fixed-up version all those years if we'd just taken the time for repairs and up-keep. Like I said, it really wasn't that big a deal. It always seems more difficult in our minds to fix something than it really is.

This body is the only "home" we will ever have as long as we are here on earth. It's never too late to make changes. And doesn't everyone just love a good "fixer-upper"!?

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