Spiritual Polyfilla

Trusty Polyfilla! When I was living in my flat, I relied on the stuff to cover up all the imperfections which I had made in the walls...mis-drilled holes, craters I had punched, cracks etc. If I hadn’t repaired the holes, not only would my landlord have had kittens, but my walls would have looked a state! It would have been obvious to everyone how little I cared about my walls!

Polyfilla is described on Wikipedia as; "...paste typically used to fill holes, small cracks and other minor surface defacements in wood, drywall and plaster...a term that has become a genericized trademark in colloquial speech" If you have ever used it to fill cracks in a wall, you will know that there are several steps to successful filling…
> Prepare the area, cleaning excess away
> Apply first batch
> Clean, and sand down the area
> Apply second coat and smooth as appropriate
> Once dry, paint over if required

It has only struck me recently how cracks appear not only in walls, but in our Christian life too...these cracks (like my walls) are often self inflicted, but also appear with lack of maintenance. I see cracks appearing in peoples lives all the time, a boundary moved here, a liberty taken there, allowing ourselves to be in situations we shouldn’t be in - It’s SO easy to stray away from the Christian walk.

Anyone who says being a Christian is easy, is ignorant, it has been the toughest journey ever, and it continues to be.

I have in my mind several situations where there are cracks appearing, and I’m so worried, but you know what? Worry is a sin! If I don’t hand these situations over to God, then I’m acting on my own, and that isn’t the way to do things…WWJD, What Would Jason Do? Well, inevitably the wrong thing, and I’d probably create more cracks than I repair.

Polyfilla serves as more than just an easy way to cover up cracks, it restores structural integrity, it makes good of the imperfections and in quantity it can restore a whole wall.

You don’t build a house with Polyfilla, you just use it to maintain and fix it. My theory is, the more often we fill the gaps, however small, the better we are overall. And our spiritual polyfilla? The most perfect prayer ever prayed…

Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name.
Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power and the glory for ever.
Amen.
Matthew 6, NKJV