All Hope is not Lost.

A couple of months back, I decided to wear some extra jewelry to work. Whatever it is I wore that day (I can’t remember any parts of that outfit), it made me want to wear this sterling silver ring of mine. It’s a cute midi ring with a tannish-gold stone in the middle of it. It belonged to my paternal grandmother and it was one that my dad had given to me.

I recall being at one of my school sites and conversing with the site volunteer. As I talked to her, I remember my hands feeling dry, so I pulled out my body butter to moisturize. I distinctly remember taking my grandmother’s ring off my finger to rub the moisturizer into my hands… and that’s all I got. Later that evening, looked down to remove my ring and it wasn’t there! I was devastated and although the last place I recall having it was at school, I searched everywhere. I looked in my pockets, backpack, coat, the floor, I even went back to my car, and nothing. I took it as a loss.

Fast forward a couple of months to an intense, loud music Saturday deep cleaning day…

I’d finished cleaning the kitchen and bathroom and I went to tackle my living room. I wiped my tables down and vacuumed my carpet and area rug. I dusted around my television and sorted through my magazines. Once I finished, my living room was spotless, but something didn’t seem right. I took a good look and realized that I needed to rearrange my furniture.

I stared off into space until I could envision where everything should go. I moved my area rug and tables to the side. Then, I knew exactly where I wanted my couch to go. As I began moving it, I had to go from one end to the other to push past a table. Once I gave that first push, I looked down and you know what was shining back at me? **If you guessed my grandmother’s ring, you are a winner! Uh, your prize is the rest of my story, keep reading.**

Is it Time for a Change?

Mmmkay, I know you’re itching for my point. Here goes… I thought I’d lost my ring for good and it wasn’t until I rearranged my furniture that I found it. I know you think you’ve lost your joy, peace, confidence, and your passion for good, but you just need to “rearrange” some things to get it back.

See, oftentimes, things get so comfortable that we leave them as they are for far too long. Sometimes we need to move things around to find what we thought we’d lost for good. A real-life example for me is when my daddy died. Now, I am still trying to navigate through it (lots of emphasis on “trying”), but some things I regained when I decided to rearrange stuff.

I had to start praying and reading again, but this time, my prayers were different (rearranging); scriptures had new meaning (rearranging). I had to do some things differently throughout my work days so that I could begin to handle this major adjustment… this “new normal”, whatever that is. I still have to rely on God for strength and peace, but this go ‘round, I’m sitting in a different seat.

Just like rearranging furniture, rearranging in life is a task and it may take some thought. You may have to do a little staring at first, but trust that God will guide you through it. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you prepare to “rearrange”:

1. Clean up. If you’re anything like me, then clutter and dirt make you itch inside. Yeah, it’s a bit over the top, but you get it. Before I could begin to see the problem with my living room, I had to first clean it. Sometimes, you gotta get rid of stuff and clean house before you realize that a shift is needed. Allow God to cleanse you, your heart, your mind so that you may see clearly and things will go according to His will. “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalms 51:10
2. Be open to the necessary changes. As I cleaned my living room, I realized that I was tired of the way it looked. I needed something to change in order for me to be comfortable with what was going on in my house. It was time for some movement. “Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitude.” Ephesians 4:23
3. Rearranging is necessary. I would have never found my ring had I not moved that couch. I can’t tell you how many times I’d vacuumed, dusted, and placed things right in the area where it ended up. Many times, we need the new perspective that rearrangement brings. It comes with letting the past go and understanding that old stuff won’t work anymore. “Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.” Isaiah 42:9

I pray you find that thing you think you’ve lost in life. Just know that it may be hidden, and rearranging may be the only way to find it.