Day 261 Laughing My Head Off and Pocketbook Metaphors

Dear friends,

I laughed so hard in the car today I nearly had to pull over to the side of the road. I was listening to a fluff story on National Public Radio, and the lady was talking about going shopping with her teenage daughter for a bathing suit. I'll never report it right, suffice it to say that "$90 and bottoms like a string of dental floss and a top like two elbow patches" were at the heart of the story. At any rate, it felt fabulous to laugh so hard at something comical. I mean, my gut hurt. At a certain point I think the laughing was about relief and there was no joke needed. I'm sure the bloke driving down the road next to me watching me laugh was highly amused himself. Glad to make someone's day.

If you need a good laugh, come over to my house and take a look inside my purse. My husband calls it the black hole of Calcutta. That purse is the outward expression of a common inward state for me: too much junk, unorganized, itchin' to be thrown out. Good, useful stuff mixed in with rubbish. Good Lord, sometimes I hate metaphors. Especially when they describe me perfectly! Still, I've finally figured out that the cleaning out process for the purse has to be ongoing. And it's the same with my soul. The Great One keeps forgiving, keeps sanctifying, keeps unloading our darkness all the days of our lives. It all goes much better for us (and I imagine for Him too) if we don't let things get too out of hand for too long. I've got a heap of receipts to put in my computer, but if I did them daily for just a minute my anxiety level would decrease and so would the mess in my purse! Keeping short accounts with God, that's the ticket. Every day, bringing our pile to Him, seeking His life changing forgiveness asking for His grace to let go and trust Him, looking to His power to change. There is no shortcut to this process. It's a daily matter living in a world of sin and being sinners ourselves. But nothing, nowhere beats a clear conscience before God. No money can buy it. No fame can create it. It's freely given in the transaction between a redeeming Savior and a "glorious ruin". We were made to walk in freedom. Time to get our knots untied.

Smitty has a big day tomorrow. He sees Dr. Bagchi in the morning to hear about the results of his MRI. Then he's taking a really important test for a license he started studying for back in February. Please pray for the man to recall all he's learned. He was still a little muddled when he first started that process...

Guess I better go. I've got to clean out my pocketbook. I believe there is a very old cough drop melting in there, along with some shopping lists from April and 20 or so purple pens from Planet Fitness. (Now why can't I ever find a pen when I need one?) And by the way, you know that usually I really love metaphors. You guys, however, are probably ready to string me up if you hear one more...

Your friend on the pilgrim road,

Loriann