I needed a change so I moved the high-back chairs in front of the window and placed the hope chest in a more prominent position. It is now a more restful and peaceful room, that I can share with my guests without embarrassment or shame.

Rearranging my life, however, is not quite so easy. Can I make spiritual or emotional adjustments without adding to or taking away from what I currently enjoy? By assessing what I have and being grateful for it, I believe I can bring about change with no cost or penalty.

So often I think I must cast away all and pay dearly to start over, neglecting and ignoring the good in what I do have. But if I place this here and put that there, I will see it in a whole new light.

Can the same be true of a relationship that has grown stale or out of style? I think so, yet I don't know how. If I cast this friend away to start over, I will pay emotionally and spiritually. But if I can find and focus on the good that does exist, then I can see the relationship in a new and more nourishing light.

While it’s true that people are not overstuffed chairs to be shuffled from here to there, I must not be content with that which is repulsive or abusive. But a change in my attitude is within my control. In doing so, I have found renewal, a refreshing of my existence and relationships.

God, help me to see the things I can change, to not worry about what I can't do, and to have the wisdom to know the difference.