Or maybe it is my simple mind that needs to see something in order for it to really make an impression? Or maybe it is because I do alot of thinking and praying while I clean? Or maybe it is because I am listening to music that has convicting words?
Whatever the reason...the dust that coated the knick-knacks above the kitchen cupboards was more than regrettable! With company coming, it was time to take care of the impending dust storm. I took everything down off the shelves. I washed each piece and wiped down every nook and cranny. How quickly the dust accumulated these last few months! I know the constant fan movement keeps things stirred up and adds to the mess. I am one of God's children. I have been washed in the blood of the Lamb. His Spirit now bears witness with my spirit. What a picture of what the Holy Spirit does in our lives! It is only by the washing of the Word that cleansing comes to us. I have so many nooks and crannies in my life too. Some of those surfaces are rough...just like the texture on our walls. What a mess! I had to rinse out my rag several times. The dust wiped off the smooth surfaces easier.
Sometimes...it takes a little scrubbing! And alot of rinsing!
Ashlynn walked up on the porch..."Mom, are these real plants?" I smiled, "No, they do look real now that they are clean!" I think people around me would sometimes wonder if I was a "real Christian" with all the dust and dirt that accumulates on me. I know I am not a perfect wife or mother or friend... or housekeeper sometimes! There is proof. I am still learning and working to keep clean in the sight of my God. When I spend time in God's Word, I am washed and the dust of this world gets washed away. For these "fake" plants, I had to run the hot water long and hard to get around each leaf and flower.
I look at all the stuff there is too get dirty. It took time to gather the dust. It takes time to take each piece down and clean it. I have noticed it was time to do this job...goes with the seasons. But I have also found excuses to not do the job...until now. It had to be done...because dust floats down and covers other things...and it is not good when company gets coated with dust!
I started counting how many areas there are in my life to get dirty! It takes time to get dirty. When you brush up against things that are dirty, the dirt spreads. Walking away from the job or ignoring it...didn't make the job get done...didn't make the job easier...in fact, it made it harder!
And then I looked in the sink...YUCK! The grime that is left behind. Sometimes that cleaning process causes some hurt and pain...just like the little flower head that came off...I had to take time to find the spot it occupied. I John 1:9! I am thankful for the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ. I am thankful for the washing of His Word that can clean up the dust and dirt that accumulates in my life...and His Holy Spirit is there just like that ceiling fan that stirs things up and reminds me of the dust. When I refuse to listen or obey, He may have to apply pressure to make a difference. There will be consequences that accompany my stubborness...and I won't get to choose those. I am thankful that God loves me...and He can make everything right...every time.
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