Holy Swiffer, Batman!!

I was looking around my house today, you know, the one I've only lived in for about 3 months. I was amazed at how many things I am already in the habit of overlooking; the marks on the wall by the couch, the dings in the wall from the furniture, the spot on the carpet in Scamp's room. You know, little things. I guess you could just say the house is finally beginning to look lived in. When I took a closer look I saw things that I had seen so many times I no longer saw them.

All this pondering led me down another road. How many things in our life do we live with just because we are so comfortable with them that we don't even really see them anymore? Are there things in my heart that are so obvious to others that I don't even see anymore? If someone pointed them out to me would I say "oh, yeah, that's been there forever! I'll get around to fixing it sooner or later"? Who and what am I really living with? We must be careful not to become so relaxed with the tenants who share our hearts that we fail to evict them just because we are comfortable. They don't really cause us that much trouble. That's what we tell ourselves. "Sure, I have a little unforgivness in here, but he's really no trouble at all. He just rents a small little room, a closet, really, and I never hear anything out of him". That's a dangerous place to be, folks. Like a termite, unforgivness will eat it's way into the walls of your heart, hardening them and making them impenetrable to the Holy Spirit. Do we let Anger park in our garage? Self-Pity have a room in the attic? Gossip camp out on the couch and has kitchen privileges?

Have you ever gotten your house ready to sell? As you start going from room to room you start to see your home through the eyes of others. Suddenly, things are looking a little different. What you thought was just cozy, you can see how others would perceive as cramped. What you see at shabby chic, others just see as shabby. So it is with our hearts. It's important to take time to do a heart check. David said in Psalm 139:23, "Search me, O God, and know my heart". Would our hearts look any different through the eyes of someone else, of the Lord? Would our "humbleness" be shown to actually be self-pity? Would our "righteous indignation" be reveled to just be plain anger? How about when we are "discerning the body"? Are we actually just plain ol gossiping?

I think it's time for some house cleaning in my heart. I try to remember the word says in Jeremiah 17:9 -" The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. Who can know it?" I am going to spend some time asking the Lord to open my eyes to look at my heart the way He sees it. I've got a feeling it will be completely different from the way I see it.

I have a long habit of seeing things the way I want to see them. I'm afraid my children have inherited this trait. Yesterday, when Scamp got home from school, I asked him about his day. He informed me he was moved to the second discipline level during the day. (they go from 3 down to 1, the hope being we can stay on 3 all day!) When I asked him what he did, he said he really didn't remember, he might have said something to someone that wasn't nice, but he was sure he didn't mean it. Only 5 years old and already justifying and covering up his behavior. Sometimes I wonder why God made this child so beautiful and so charming all at the same time. It makes it really difficult to fuss at him when he flashes those blue eyes! lol

Unfortunately, there are no mini-maids or cleaning services for the soul. I've got to take things out, look at them, and take them to the Lord for a dunk in his cleansing blood. It washes away every stain, every blemish, every bit of grime and dust we gather as we walk here on earth.

I've got to go, now, my house needs a good cleaning. I wonder if the Bible mentions a Swifer for the soul????

Soaked in His blessings,
Spokenfor

Room For Rent

A house with many rooms,
numerous people crowded in,
always opposing one another,
fighting battles none can win.

Anger's room is at hall's end
right across from Fear's domain.
Twins Depression and Despair live
around the corner, just below Insane.

Terror willingly abides throughout
while Shame welcomes all who enter.
Past Regrets controls everyone
with Grief serving as her mentor.

Happiness, Peace, Joy, Love
never darken porch nor door.
Broken Hearts overgrow the path,
Past Relationships litter the floor.

Till the Holy Spirit comes rushing in
bringing Christ's cleansing blood.
Evicting the darkness dwelling within
making all shine with the light of His love.