Birds in the Wilderness: 07/01/2012

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

lessons from the bathroom...

I enjoyed a sweet and much needed conversation today with a dear, sweet friend. It seems that we sometimes take turns comparing ourselves to the other and find that we always fall short of the other. I guess we all do that comparing thing every now and again;) It's comforting to know that we struggle with the same issues(misery loves company?). It's even more of a comfort to know that we find our identity in Christ, not in what we have or haven't done. My friend and I seem to have some sin issues to deal with...with our children and with ourselves. What a blessing to be able to share these burdens with one another. (Galatians 6:2). So anyway what does this have to do with the bathroom? I'm beginning to wonder that myself;) Here goes.....

Part of this morning was spent cleaning the bathrooms...I CAN NOT stand a dirty bathroom, I actually like cleaning the bathrooms! Yes....I have issues;) So after getting them cleaned I feel so much better about everything, the bathrooms are clean, at least for a little while. Fast forward a few hours.... someone asks, "why doesn't Noah have any pants on?". Well, that sweet boy almost made it...almost;)
No worries, I just throw a towel over and grab some cleaner while he's washing his hands. Then I realize that my "clean" bathroom wasn't nearly as clean as I thought. So I spray and I wipe and then I get down on my hands and knees to scrub. I had to get on my knees to really get those "dirty" areas. Now this morning most people would've been able to walk into a "clean" bathroom, chances are they wouldn't have looked for all that dirt hiding behind....Isa this starting to make sense? I hope so. You see, my friend and I have both dealt with some big sin issues here lately and speaking for myself those big issues brought to light so many other areas that had been touched by sin. I just couldn't see it. Everything looked good on the surface but underneath was a dirty mess. Those "big" issues have forced me to see and face the "smaller" but still dirty issues lurking underneath.

Now, I said I had to get on my knees to really clean the "mess" in the bathroom and that brings me to close of this post. On my knees.....crying out to God.That is the only way to deal with sin. Sometimes God uses the "big" issues to show us just how much sin there really is in and underneath. Only on our knees can we face it. Only Christ can make us clean.

In Him,
Sandy