My 15-year-old daughter, Allie, has a room that’s scaring me more than a little. Have you ever walked into a room that just screamed GARAGE SALE? Allie’s room is just that–a garage sale begging to happen. And I think we could make some serious money too. Never mind the mountain range of clothes I can sort of visualize as little piles of cash. Better than that, there’s an Einstein mobile dangling from her ceiling fan. Who wouldn’t pay a pretty penny for that? And who wouldn’t give top dollar for that purple lava lamp? There’s also a giant Batman and Robin mosaic hanging very near the shelf of old soda pop bottles and the rubber chicken. I know you’re thinking I made that part up, but honestly, there really is a rubber chicken hanging on the wall. It scares me when there’s a portion of my teenage daughter’s room that looks a little more like a poultry slaughter house than a bedroom. No bones about it–it’s a boneless chicken.

There’s an arrow hanging on another wall and some pasta art on another. I’m hoping she didn’t use the arrow to kill any rubber chickens. Creative eclectic decorator that she is, there’s even a Snickers wrapper displayed like a proud “I love my chocolate” banner. Hey, if she added a vegetable she would have decor in every food group in the pyramid. Allie’s room could be part of a complete and balanced diet. To be perfectly honest, though, all her original art pieces hanging on those walls? I wouldn’t let those go in a garage sale for any amount of money. Those are masterpieces.

Best of all, intermingled all through the deliciously different decor, there are all kinds of posters of Bible passages and pictures with verses from God’s Word on them. I’m so tickled that Allie makes no bones about the fact that she treasures God’s Word even more than all the other treasures posted on her walls.

Every word in the Bible is a part of the Master’s masterpiece–and what a treasure it is! It’s meant to be displayed more prominently than any Snickers wrapper as a banner that says, “I love my God!” Deuteronomy 6:9 says, “You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (NIV). We’re to look at, read, ponder, meditate on, study and apply God’s Word in every little corner of our lives, coming and going.

Since it does say that we should write these things on the corners of our door posts, I’m thinking we’ll leave Allie’s room pretty much as is–well, maybe minus a clothes mountain or two. I’m just glad she has parts of the Heavenly Father’s written masterpiece hanging in every corner. Even if the fact that it’s hanging by a rubber chicken is a little scary.

Rhonda Rhea rrhea@juno.com