Making new.

For the past couple of days, I have (like many others!) taken advantage of the good weather conditions to attend to some much-needed maintenance on the house and garden.  One of the bigger jobs has been re-laying some of the monoblocks in the driveway.

It's not a particularly difficult job to do, although it can be quite back-breaking!  The blocks have to be lifted - not too bad after the first one has been prised out; then the ground underneath has to be cleaned up.  Following this, I had to lay some fresh whin-dust - before carefully setting the blocks back in place; tapping them (reasonably!) level; and brushing kiln-dried sand into all of the spaces in order to ensure that they don't move.

I still have some work to do on the drive on Monday (D.V.), but it is already looking much better.

As I worked, today, I thought to myself that the Lord has to do the same sort of thing with me.  Although I was saved a long time ago (just before my 15th birthday anniversary!), the work of sanctification (being made more like Jesus) is a continuing one.  As a former friend was wont to say, "I'm a work in progress"!  So often the Lord has to lift things away in order to reveal the poor state of what is underneath.  Then He has to clean me up again; level me off - and that may entail a wee "tap" or two!; and brush God the Holy Spirit into all of the cracks in order that I may be constant and true (at least until the next time He has to work on me - sadly, a more regular occurrence than my dealings with my drive-way!).

Next week, I also plan to attend to some of the exterior paintwork.  A coat of paint, as one might say, can cover a multitude of sins!  How thankful I am that, while "... the blood of Jesus ... cleanses [me] from all sin ..." (I John 1:7), He also wants to do a deep work within so that He may "... present [me] before the presence of His glory, with rejoicing ..." (Jude 24).

Have you opened yourself to His working in, and on, your life?  Have you?!