I've Got Something Better For You

It's been way too long since I have read a book. Most of the reading I do is on the internet. Not that this is a bad thing but I have been wanting to sit and read the old fashioned way! Several years ago someone had given me an old (12 years old) Max Lucado book called Just Like Jesus.
Here are my favorite parts from Chapter One:

"God loves to decorate. God HAS to decorate. Let Him live long enough in a heart, and that heart will begin to change. Portraits of hurts will be replaced by landscapes of Grace. Walls of anger will be demolished and shaky foundations restored. God can no more leave a life unchanged than a Mother can leave her child's tear untouched.

This might explain some of the discomfort in your life. Remolding of the heart is not always pleasant. We don't object when the carpenter adds a few shelves. But he has been known to gut the entire west wing! He has such high aspirations for you. God envisions a complete restoration."

Max goes on to tell the story of one of his girls at the toddler stage. One day while playing at the park they were approached by an ice cream sales man. Max bought his little one a treat but when he turned to give it to her he saw that her mouth was full of dirt. He says:
"Did I love her with dirt in her mouth? Absolutely. Was she any less my daughter with dirt in her mouth? Of course not. Was I going to allow her to keep the dirt in her mouth? No way. I loved her right where she was, but I refused to leave her there. I carried her to the water fountain and washed out her mouth. Why? Because I love her.

God does the same for us. He holds us over the fountain. "Spit out the dirt, Honey", our Father urges. "I've got something better for you."