Public Penance and Personal Revelation

 Blogs are wonderful in a lot of ways.

They are also TERRIBLE in a lot of ways.  

Like when I happen to reread what I wrote years ago and inwardly groan at my own hubris or naivete or lack of grace or __fill-in-the-blank-foolishness____.

I happened to look back upon a post many years ago in which I said some pretty unapologetic (rude!) things about the kind of people who would allow messes to explode on their watch.  How they lacked godly stewardship.  In that blog post of yesteryear, I may have even said "There is absolutely NO EXCUSE for it."

Granted, I was likely grumpy from spending hours cleaning up someone elses' mess in an old barn and the exhaustion/frustration was speaking at that point.

But WoW.  Just wow.

Turns out...

 I got myself a Granary of my own.  And I got myself a handful of children of my own.  And life kindof exploded for a bit.  (And, I like to think that maybe I even grew up and into a bit more compassion and grace for my fellow man.)

After my public chastisement of 'those sorts' of people a dozen years ago, my penance today shall be my own public shame and humility.   Apparently, I am one of "THOSE" sorts of people, after all.

Most of the 'before' photos were deleted, including of the top floor, but I salvaged this single photo of the lower level from a message thread to a friend who shares a certain kinship with and compassion for Overwhelming Projects of DOOM. (OPODs, for short.)

Here is the bottom floor, in all its' glory...

It took weeks to finish because I decided if I was going to do it, I was going to do it RIGHT.  I would also go through each and every bin stored in there to throw away/give away/burn/donate as much as I could.

The eyebrows were raised as people drove past and, no doubt, we were the topic of dinner conversations for quite some time.  I had to sheepishly make a sign of my shame for all the prying eyes... and more than one person asked about it being a yard sale.

But weeks later, it felt pretty stinkin' good to be stewarding myself back into a clean and organized Granary.

Here is the 'after' of the lower level:

And, the top floor, which housed leftover furniture that just doesn't fit in the house but has sentimental value (and some rugs free from the side of the road), became a  playhouse/hangout spot, made just a wee bit magical with some Christmas lights hung from the ceiling.

My message today, a dozen years from that embarrassingly stonehearted post, is this (and it is to ME too)...

Life can get away from you.  Life can get messy.  And if you have failed to do what needed to be done, for whatever reason, it just doesn't do to dwell on what is done.  Maybe you've made a mess of things.  (Like me.)  

Just roll up your sleeves.  Take one step at a time and do a tiny bit better.  And then don't stop.  

Glory will come.