The acrid smell of the oil-based enamel paint I have been using is stuck in my nose. I have showered, washed my hair, blown my nose, done deep-breathing exercises to clear my lungs, all to no avail. It is a smell that permeates and you are stuck with the smell for hours, kind of like an encounter with the wrong end of a skunk, and this is the new improved, environmentally friendly smell.The reason for my “suffering” is because of a project I am working on bringing into reality. We have a very small house in town that has been sitting empty for the last year. Before that it has housed four of our five children at their different stages of leaving the nest. Before that it was an office space for my husband’s business.
It is worse than awful. It is not one of those cute old houses that are full of charm and a joy to restore. It was never finished very well and through years of use and neglect, it is no better off. It is not worth the money to re-do it but we are giving it the minimum makeover treatment—paint, new floors, new hardware, and new lights. Actually, I think it is the paint and the caulking that is holding the whole thing together.
The house was slated for tear down in my mind. The land that it sits on is more valuable than the house is itself. It just didn’t seem worth putting any more money or effort into. Then I had a vision of what this house could become. I can see it in my mind completely transformed. My imagination has filled in all of the details and it is a beautiful, healing place.
It is the perfect size and location to start a Spiritual Growth Center. It will be a great place to hold wisdom circles—small groups dedicated to growing spiritually. The backyard is perfect for a prayer and meditation garden as it is watched over by a huge, weeping willow tree. With the help and blessing of Spirit it will be perfect.
But bringing it from vision to reality, from inspiration to transformation, from imagination to manifestation requires a lot of perspiration! Just emptying the contents stored by numerous children was a valiant effort. And now there is the task of stripping, painting, cleaning, and running back and forth to Home Depot.
When it is all done it will look like we waved a magic wand over it and poof—it is instantly changed! From derelict to darling—just like on TV. But for now I am reminded by the smell in my nose that the reality of the effort, time, and energy that it takes to transform things in the 3rd dimension is real and takes courage, patience and a lot of soap and water and sometimes paint thinner.
There have been numerous projects over the years that I have sweated over and tried to coax and sometimes coerce into beauty. You might say that I’ve kissed many a frog trying to turn the warty into the handsome. There is no substitute for action when it comes to manifesting great ideas.
What are you working on manifesting in your life right now? Did your idea come from a vision of what could be? Asking for help from Spirit is a really great idea. We can co-create together. The Spirit gives us the inspiration, courage, and sends help along the way. Without the encouragement I receive from the Spirit that I am spending my time and effort for a worthwhile cause, I would give up and take an easier path.
Come to think of it, there are a lot of people trying to manifest a new way of thinking and being for our world. We need a lot of help from Spirit to remember that Love is worth our time and effort. We need a lot of help from Spirit to have Love live in our hearts and to be a channel for Love for others. But we can keep working towards that goal. It is a worthwhile one, don’t you think?
The Before and After pictures of my heart make me think so. Julie before God’s love—Julie after God’s love. No comparison! Just like a magic wand went poof! From derelict to darling all because of God’s precious Love!
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