fix your eyes

Chuck and I are in the market for a new washer and dryer (or in my terms a new "w/d"). Ours is currently dying a slow death and in need of replacement. So, after much saving and discussion, we've begun venturing out to compare all the new and improved models that have "washed up" since we purchased our first "w/d" over 14 years ago.

Let me tell you, these days it has not gotten any simpler to buy a "w/d". There are so many features... so many bells and whistles to consider: steam or no steam... front loading or top loading... energy efficient or standard... 110 or 220 voltage intake. Of course, the most important question to me is concerning none of those things. That's Chuck's department. What do I care about... what color will it be? (Ha ha.) No longer am I limited to the standard "flat white" scheme as the only option available in this arena. No, now the appliance stores are bursting with vivid color selections equivalent to what can be found at nearby car dealerships: Chili Pepper Red, Elegant Beige Metallic, Mediterranean Blue, and Turquoise Sky. Also, plain old white has been given a modern face lift and is now referred to as "Island White." Oooooooo - I love color options! This go-round I can actually decorate with my new "w/d"!!! (Girly and proud of it, ladies! Ha ha.) Anyway... yes, times have changed since Chuck and I first poked our heads out to buy a "w/d". Already we are overwhelmed with what unit to choose. However, we both realize that no appliance lasts forever, right? So, before our original "w/d" dies, we must decide which new model we will choose to go with - whose unit will last the longest and perform the most reliable.

And this brings me to further consider today's blog: the difference between what is permanent and what is temporary. That which lasts and that which is here only for a moment. That which is eternal and that which is subject to change. You see, everything we see on earth is, in fact, a temporary thing. It exists only for a short time. It is finite. Here, the only certainty we are promised is God. He is infinite. He lasts. He is eternal. He is consistent - the same yesterday, today, forever. So, what do we do when we cannot count on anything here to last?

"We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:18)

This is good news. God is always God. He is always good and desperately in love with us. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." (Hebrews 13:8) He does not change. His agenda does not change. His plans do not change. His character does not change. He is permanent, constant, dependable. He will never leave or forsake. He will never be replaced or made-over. He is perfect and abundant in every way.

Ladies, we must daily grasp His certainty and do everything possible to hold on tightly to His truth. For when we claim the eternal Jesus as our Lord, the temporary within this world becomes exceedingly unimportant. Every belonging we once claimed ownership to (including our time) becomes irrelevant. Trials are momentary. The distraction of the "seens" before us are no longer our primary focus. With Jesus, we seek what is "unseen"... what is eternal. We cling to the promise of a new, unique permanency that is offered by the only One who is indeed permanent and forever. This is how blind human eyes are transformed to see clearly. This is how broken human hearts learn how to rejoice in every fleeting moment. For we know that moments here are temporary. TEMPORARY!

Let's choose the right model for our lives, ladies. Let's invest in a God who is forever PERMANENT - verses wallowing over the sad, fleeting, temporary idols of this earth. Let's focus on His lessons rather than fear His process. Remember, His ways are good. He is the only One who is able to wash away our corruption and disappointment indefinitely. There is only One who can promise 100% satisfaction, abundance, and a guaranteed hope of a blessed future.

"Therefore, do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." (2 Corinthians 4:16-17)
Fix your eyes, ladies. Seek after the unseen and be clean! The new has come! Today, and every day, let's resolve to look past our own soil and receive His perfect, blessed cleaning cycle. This is the day to rejoice and be glad in Him!

"Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind." (Isaiah 65:17)

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Blessings!
Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson