Tweaking

“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies?

Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.

Indeed, the very hairs on your head are all numbered.

Don’t be afraid;

you are worth more than many sparrows.”

Luke 12:6-7 NIV

Fact one: I am worth more than many sparrows!

Fact two: Even though God is taking care of me, (which is a full time job) he still remembers and finds time for the common sparrows. His Word says that not one of them is ever forgotten.

Fact three: Amazingly, all the hairs on my head are numbered! Even when a few hairs fall out, God changes his calculation! Now that is a pretty insignificant detail. Really, who cares? Guess what, God does!

All I have to do is walk among the flowers in my garden and see that our God is a God of details. Don’t tell me that God doesn’t notice the microscopic details of His creation. He has taken great care in his creativity to make sure that no two snowflakes are alike. Every sunrise and every sunset are distinctively different. No two waves on the ocean are the same, no two people alike; every floral creation is amazingly unique to its stem. I am learning that God moves the insignificant details of my life right up to the top of his significant list. No matter how insignificant the details of my life are they still matter to God. Because of this enormous truth I can trust God with of all of the seemingly insignificant trivia that is a part of my daily routine and the really big stuff as well.

I confess that I am a ‘tweaker”. As I go about my day I close open drawers and doors. I straighten crooked pictures; I twist back into position chairs that are not straight. I balance lampshades that are tilted, and I level crooked blinds. I can tell you in a second if someone has picked up something on a table and set it down at an angle that is not to my specifications. My eyes beg for order. When I am having company for dinner I can tweak until the door bell rings as I adjust the lighting, straighten the silverware, align the glass with the plate, and pinch off any stray leaves that fall the wrong way in my floral arrangement. Some people call this obsessive compulsive, I call it tweaking! In my opinion this is a good thing, still other may not agree! My grandson also inherited this gene. If he gets out of the car that my daughter has parked crooked, he is tearfully upset because it is “too crook-ed-er”! What can I say, we are sick people.

But then today I realized that our God is also a “Tweaker”. Yes, he loves us unconditionally and takes us as we are, yet all of our days he will spend trying to shape us into his image. He does this by paying attention to the details of our life. God looks to see where are life is a little off center, a little crooked, and then he lovingly tweaks us back in place. Life is full of stressful bumps and problems that have the potential to knock us off-line. God stands ready to help us soar above the daily intermittent storms and experience his peace. God is also there to help us stay focused and to correct us when we become “too crook-ed-er”.

Some days I am a walking, talking poster child for stress. I long for order, simplicity, relaxation, rest, peace and perfection. On those days my life seems to be in need of major tweaking. Today, God has reminded me that even in the most gorgeous garden there is a need for constant care and tweaking. I am aware that a gorgeous garden can become a shameful disgrace when there are weeds that need pulling and flowers that need to be deadheaded. There are always bushes that need to be pruned, vines to be trimmed, dead tree limbs to be cut and discarded, fallen sticks to be picked up, grass that needs to be mowed, and lawns that needs to be edged and manicured.

Today it is occurring to me that my life is very much like a garden that needs constant attention. I am in desperate need of the Master Gardner to tweak the insignificant of my life so that my life will not become out of control but rather become more beautiful for his glory. “And we …are being transformed into his likeness with ever increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV When I give God the insignificant and the significant issues in my life I am allowing him to change me from some glory into more glory. This glorification process will not be complete until I arrive in heaven. It is this sanctification process that is preparing me for heaven. “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6 NIV I want to allow God to carry the good work  he began in me on to completion. I believe that one way this can be done is by giving God all of my concerns, both large and small, and allowing him to tweak my life as he sees best. I have found that my prayer life is so important because it is during prayer that God changes me. He gives me understanding and wisdom that changes my attitudes, takes away my fears, extinguishes my anger, and calms my emotions. During prayer I learn lessons of compassion, mercy, love and forgiveness. Prayer time is essential for tweaking!

Questions:

1. Do you believe that God cares about the insignificant details of your life?

2. Do you trust God with the insignificant details of your life?

3. Do you recognize that your life may be in need of tweaking?

4. What are the benefits of God tweaking your life?

5. Are you ready to spend some time in prayer and give God an opportunity to do some necessary tweaking as he adjusts your attitudes, changes your heart, gives you compassion and grace, and heals your raw emotions?

Prayer:

Dear God,

This day I want to embrace the fact that you love me with an everlasting love. Your compassion and mercy are new and fresh every morning. God, I want to hold close the knowledge that you care for every insignificant and significant detail of my life. Today God, I come to you for tweaking. God I give you my fear of _________, my control of __________, my unbelief regarding _________, and my desire for ______________. I hand you my need for __________, and I ask for your peace regarding _____________. God I thank you for caring about my life and all the details of my day. Create in me a pure heart and a right spirit. Tweak the selfish attitudes that are clinging to the walls of my heart. Take away any damaging fear or anger that lives in me. Restore a right spirit within me by adjusting my damaging attitudes, change my thinking to your thoughts, restore your compassion and grace within me. and heal my raw emotions. Fill me with your love as you tweak all that is unpleasing to you. Please change me from some glory, to more of your glory, for your glory!

In your Son’s name I pray, Amen.