Faithful Friday: Clean Me

Spring break has begun!  While the kids are lazily planning how little they can accomplish, my mind has been set on cleaning, organizing, and shaking off winter from the house.

Now, obviously I won't spend all my free time scrubbing and sorting.  My days will have a good mixture of hanging out with family, catching up on sleep, and still managing to check needed items off my to do list.

Yesterday, I started the task of putting away winter clothes to make room for warmer weather attire.  It's one I don't look forward to, as it is rather boring and time consuming, but I'm always glad once it's done.  A freshly organized closet makes early mornings so much nicer.  And it always puts a smile on my face to dig out those flip flops!

I spent a good chunk of today purging out cabinets.  Amazing how much junk can accumulate over such a short time.  But six trash bags later was a sign of how much it needed to be done.

The problem with cleaning places nobody really sees, is there isn't much proof of all the work you've done.  Until someone opens the door, they can't appreciate the hours you've spent.

And let's face it, even when you do the deep cleaning of scrubbing floors and walls, most aren't thankful for the sacrifice.

I wonder if God feels that way about us?  

There's been wasted years of my life where I certainly didn't act as if I appreciated the sacrifice Jesus made for me.  For a long while, I just spot cleaned, picked and chose the areas of life I wanted to let Him in.  Sure, He could have my entryway but stay out of the closets.  There were many years where I just scrubbed my appearance, but really didn't allow God to dust the cobwebs of my soul.

But when you take your dirty, your clutter, your sin - and fully expose it to Him, he'll set you free.  And just like the feeling of a freshly clean house in spring, there is nothing that compares to allowing God to cleanse you anew.  And the work he does within you is visible from the outside, much like the view from sparkling clean windows.

Just remember the human side of us continues to get dusty.  We fall back into bad routines.  Or become lazy and disobedient.  Or let the filth of this world influence us.  So even once we've fully committed to Him, we should still check ourselves seasonally.  Everyone needs a spiritual spring cleaning now and then...

So, as I tackle the house this week, might I remind myself to spend time with the Master.  To listen to Him on the areas I may need to dust or sort.  Because it won't matter how much my floors shine, if my feet aren't following the path of the One that matters most. 

Faithful Friday: Spring Cleaning

Today is a vacation day for me, but I'm not traveling anywhere.  In fact, one might be surprised how I've spent the morning.

Though I did leisurely enjoy several cups of coffee and am still in my pjs, the bulk of my day off so far has involved some deep cleaning.  A mixture of being behind from not feeling well and having spring fever has set me off today on a mission. 

This morning, while making said coffee, a smile soon erupted on my face.  Tiny little buds were waving hello to me from my kitchen window.  Our pear trees are shaking off their winter coats!  And I'm seeing other signs of my favorite season, from tweeting birds to sprouting green shoots in my flower beds, spring is around the corner.

Something about that knowledge, just adds a little spring to my step and makes me want to get my house in order.  Sadly, this also means saying goodbye to my chubby little snowmen.  They've hung around my kitchen and dining room since Christmas but it is time for them to fly away before the sun melts them.

Obviously I'm on a break, as I'm writing this post, but soon I'll get back to it.  There's an air of accomplishment, a refreshing quality to a clean house.  While I sometimes moan about the need to do it, I always feel better after it is done.  Later today, when my hubby comes home, I'll know he'll join me in soaking up the comfort and freshness of my work.  It's also an added bonus that I expect it to stay this way much longer than normal, provided the kids are away on a youth retreat with church!

Just like we can spring clean our homes, we can also dust the cobwebs from our lives.  What have you swept under your mental or emotional rugs lately?  As it continues to pile up, we can easily get tripped on what we've failed to deal with.  Has your relationship with God gathered dust?  No matter the dirt or baggage, God welcomes us always.  Maybe this weekend can spur you to cleaning up something internally, which always brings more joy.  Praying a renewed and refreshed spirit to each of you, friends!

Create in me a clean heart, O God;

and renew a right spirit within me.  Psalm 51:10