•    "You can put lipstick on a pig, but it is still a pig!"

I like pigs, but I prefer my pigs in the form of bacon with two eggs on the side. Better yet, slow-smoked in my son’s Big Green Egg bathed in bar-be-cue sauce. Over time, my husband and I have found our home wears a lot of lipstick—not in attractive colors either.

The latest pig in a poke was our home’s side entrance. Better known down south as the friend’s porch. The concrete around the flagstone was crumbling. Repairs were overdue. When the contractor tore it out, we were told there wasn’t an adequate foundation underneath. Surprise! Surprise!­—my interpretation of Mayberry’s Gomer Pyle.

There were concrete blocks, you know, the heavy ones with the holes in them, and a sundry of construction junk. How did the porch withstand weight, rain, and passage of time? One can only speculate. The repairs included removing the weak foundation. Then, and only then, could the porch be rebuilt.

Isn’t that the same with our hearts? We can apply all the cosmetics we want, but it probably needs a rework if we feel it crumbling. The heart needs the right contractor, too.

We are fortunate. We can call on Jesus to assess our heart condition and get rid of the junk. (Jesus will gladly do the cleaning). Only then can we be rebuilt and benefit from a foundation laid with suitable materials (God’s Word). Upon that foundation, we apply our stone (Spiritual fruit). We will find when He rebuilds and we maintain His work correctly, we will last a lifetime.

Some day, I’ll ask my husband if he is ready to tackle another home improvement project. I could expect to hear, “When pigs fly!” But really, that sounds more like something I might say. Until that time, where’s that lipstick.

Verse of the Month:

Psalm 127:1 “Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor uselessly...”