I am a "sew-er person"...as the kids call it. One who likes to sew things and enjoys sitting in front of a sewing machine or a serger. For those of you who have no inkling of an idea what a serger is...it is a fancier sewing machine that has 2 needles and 4 big spools of thread on the top. It is most commonly used to keep things from unraveling as you sew together 2 pieces of fabric. A sewing machine has only 1 needle, 1 top thread and then a smaller bobbin thread.
Lately I have been thinking about my serger. (No I'm not sewing anything right now... no emails for orders, please!*smiles*)
I've been thinking specifically about that darn lint...those dust balls that back themselves up in the motor and cause me all kinds of headaches. Literally and figuratively. A serger can look pretty clean on the surface... but the true test is when you open the flap to the motor and take inventory of the "behind the scenes". Whew, it can be downright ugly.
I have had many, many troubles with my darn serger, its threading and tension levels (and those who use a serger are all raising your hands on this one...) all because I hadn't taken the time to clean out the lint! I'd rather take out the trash than to clean the serger out! The nature of the beast is simple though...fabric gives off lint! That lint grows and will flat out stop all production of that serger! I've been amazed at how the smallest of lint balls can cause the biggest of hang ups!
Sewing machines are also sensitive to lint...they function better without the lint and fuzz all up in its stuff, but the thing about a serger is that there is more at stake. More threads, more needles. More area's for something to go wrong...and they do! The system is just more sensitive because more is going on! The threading on a serger is amazing and the complicated intertwining of the threads will simply not happen if lint has built up in the system.
So, maybe you see where I'm going with this, eh?
I'm becoming increasingly aware of how much our minds and emotions are like that serger! We've got a bunch of iron's in the fire, many responsibilities, many threads that are complicated in how they intertwine with each other. We are no different than the serger. We may look fairly polished and clean at first glance. But, don't you know we are professional bow adorners!! Most of us know all too well how to decorate up most anything! I know this by heart ya'll, I have taken the decorating classes myself and have quickly learned the art of the big red bow!! It makes the worst of things appear beautiful!! But its deceiving.
One little lint ball in the back corner of our mind...one area of pain that goes unattended...and we are fooling ourselves to think its not going to affect the finished product!
And there's this funny thing about lint and dust balls. They are magnetic!
Lint will attract more lint...they only become dust balls!
And so it is also true with our emotional health! Unresolved emotions, hurts, pains and disappointments will start out as lint...but make no mistake about it, all dust balls started out as LINT!! This stuff gets bigger. Bigger issues. More damage. The machine will quickly come to a screeching halt! And the more threads/commitments you have in your life...the halting comes sooner than later!! I promise.
I have come to a place in which I value the importance of emotional stability in my life! I recognize the need to clean out this mind and heart on a fairly consistent basis. I'm beginning to better know what my red flags are. The warning sign that remind me that I've over looked a piece of lint that is GROWING and must be cleared out!!
God wants nothing more than to see us in a place of health, physically and emotionally. He desires us to be well! He longs for us to come before Him with our minds and hearts. He believes in deep cleaning! He doesn't want us to learn how to tie pretty bows to cover our pains...He wants us to allow Him to remove the lint. He wants us to become students of our thoughts and emotions...so that we may recognize and address issues sooner than later!!
I have found Him to be the Wonderful Counselor! Yes I see a lady here to talk over some stuff that I don't understand yet. She's been helpful to show me the "root of the fruit". But I take it all to the Lord and ask Him to show me more and give me understanding and strength to work it through. And He does!
My dear friends...life is tough! If our minds and hearts are the needles and thread...life is the fabric. It can't help but to have lint to deal with! If we don't, it will surely hold us hostage. The enemy will see to it!
I truly believe we can have freedom from the things that keep us in chains. We don't have to be jealous, boastful, prideful, insecure, demanding, over bearing, or critical. We can be free from all that junk!!
Don't let the lint build up in your hearts.
Watch out for it because it settles when your not looking!
I am increaslingly aware that "we were meant for so much more" than LINTy lives!!
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