As I’m gazing out the window at my freshly painted trellis I’m reminded once again what each of us has the possibility of doing every morning that we wake up. My work has literally painted a picture of life-changing opportunities.
A few weeks back my trellis looked worn-out and really I had been pondering whether or not it was time to tear it down. The trellis had been stained a color that matches the brick exterior of my house so as to blend in. But the stain job must have been done a long, long time ago.
Instead of just tearing the trellis down I decided I’d put some primer on it. And the change in appearance was remarkable. The trellis had been transformed from a worn-out looking relic from antiquity to a bright, white quality addition to my yard. Before I even did any caulking or put on the final coat of eye-magnetizing semi-gloss the potential of the trellis became obvious.
And while I was out putting on the primer one day a neighbor lady stopped by. She walks around the area pretty much every evening and has been doing it for years. Even when I’m not outside to see her I know she’s walking by because I hear her calling out my dog Charlotte’s name. Charlotte never disappoints and always rushes to meet her friend…
But on that evening I was outside working so she stopped to say hello to me (before she called out for Charlotte). And she told me I made a wonderful choice by putting in the new trellis. She told me it made my backyard look great. I chuckled and teased her saying the trellis had been there as long as I’ve owned the house.
Yet at the same time the deeper point of the whole conversation became clear. There’s always time to make a fresh change. Weathered, old, or used things often can become beautiful and vibrant again; all it takes is a little work.
And I’m not just talking about old patio furniture or a kitchen that could use some updating; I’m talking about people and ideas and mindsets. People doing things or thinking about things the same old way forever and ever can get stuck in a rut without even really noticing. But if you notice that’s happening or happened to you there is a way out of the rut.
People can look at themselves like a decorator would look at a house. Forget about the house as it is but look at the possibilities of what could be. What do you want to see in your house?
Maybe you have an old, worn-out temper and would like to replace it with an updated peaceful and kind personality. I know that type of change is always easy and nice for neighbors to see. Perhaps your house has a chimney and it’s filling up the neighborhood with smoke, yet now you’re ready for a smokeless house. It’s never too late to put the Marlboro’s down.
Really, the possibilities of change are endless. And the biggest restriction people have to change is their own stubborn brains. Don’t worry, I don’t consider myself above the fray, often my brain can be stubborn too.
But I like the shiny, new look of my trellis. And now I’m going examine myself and see what changes I can make so I’ll appear and feel refreshingly new as well.
kenneth w.
www.BibleRhymes.com
Tags: author, Bible, book, childrnen, how to change, life changing, new ideas, Rhymes, ways to refresh
