rinse and repeat.

Friday: rained. Saturday: rained. Sunday: rained. Monday: rained.

It's raining. Again. I'm starting to wonder if my Garmin might have malfunctioned a year ago and sent me to Seattle instead of Music City. I enjoy the rain though, when I'm not trying to enjoy the outdoors. I save a lot of money not having to water my garden. And the weatherman said theses storms are preceding a cold front. It's only supposed to be 86 on Wednesday, a nice change to all these 100+ heat index days.

I took a 1/2 day of vacation today. I know that's kind of ridiculous considering I just came off a weekend, but it was a packed weekend and I was sitting at my desk at 6:30 a.m., realizing I am all caught up on my work. I started my half day off with a trip to Target for a toaster and Aldi for milk. Then a sweet phone conversation with Jenn, time in my garden, and a nap.

Today I've kept coming back to a couple of verses Ray Ortlund pointed out at Immanuel Church on Sunday. It is the question that orbits the life of every person and the sweet, victorious answer:

I've tried everything and nothing helps. I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn't that the real question? ²⁵The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.

(Romans 7:24-25, MSG)

How sweet it is. I have tried everything to change. I think most of us will spend the majority of our lives trying to change. To change our pasts, to change our tendency to be bent toward sin. Some people move to new cities, some people get baptized again year after year, some people change jobs. I have relocated and made lists and charted calendars and marked up note cards and prayed promises and been determined and vowed lasting, genuine change.

But that is my problem. The answer is not in behavior modification. I have tried everything and nothing helps. I have been at the end of my rope. I have wondered if there was anyone who could do anything for me. My answer is in Christ, who (thank God!) can and does set all things right.

One and done,