For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Romans 8:29

My linen closet is a wreck. My mother’s was always neatly folded and stacked like a picture from a magazine, but Mama only had flat sheets. Unless we made the hospital corners just right, the twists and turns during the night would untuck the whole bed. In between my flat sheets are the matching fitted sheets, all crumpled and twisted, with the corners all wrinkled and bunched. The whole closet may fall on you if you aren’t careful. But when I pull out a set and stretch them, pulling each corner until those fitted sheets conform to the shape of my mattress, I appreciate the design and purpose of fitted sheets. They may not exactly fit in with the rest of the closet but they’re the best sheets in the stack.

As I change those bedclothes it reminds me of how I thought I could fix my life with just a little fold and a little tuck here and there. What appeared great in the light of day was a crumpled, twisted, wrinkled, and bunched mess deep in the dark recesses of my sinful heart. But one day I realized I needed a change. I needed Jesus to conform me to His image through His power of regeneration. Now I am daily conforming to his image, allowing Him to stretch me to new heights, smooth out the wrinkles and fix my twisted thoughts all bunched up in the cares of the world. Christ in me and I in Christ makes life a lot more comfortable than allowing the twists and turns that used to get me all out of sorts. I’ll have to consult Martha Stuart to get the linen closet right, but I’m looking to Jesus to conform me to His image.

Heavenly Father, thank you for daily conforming me to the image of your Son. In Jesus's name. Amen.