Below the Surface

My back pain is much better now-thank you for praying! I am back to the normal pain caused by the herniated disk that I have had over 20 yrs now. Thankful that the mid back pain has gone away. We switched computer chairs so hopefully that is what was the cause of the problem.
I love when my dear husband shows great concern over my well being. He is always telling me to "be sure to rest your back" "don't overdo it honey". Of course it is usually followed by "When are you going to get to the ironing?" Today was my housecleaning day. I try to do a bit each day and then Friday the major things like vacuuming and bathrooms get done. Darling husband has given me a sabatical on cleaning his bathroom for the last couple months. (Yes, it was in the contract we signed when we moved into this place that since we finally had 2 usuable bathrooms, I would have my own) I began getting all the wonderful chemicals out of the cupboard to assist in my cleaning and happen to notice said bathroom needed cleaning. As I am cleaning I asked a question and was quickly told that I didn't need to clean his shower because he just cleaned it. Oh really?????????
At first glance, it did look passable for clean. Upon closer look it began to dawn on me that this shower was in desperate need of help. I went to wipe down the tiles in there and there wasn't that shiny slippery feel that was supposed to be there. Instead it was caked on hard water scummy muck! That meant socks off and into shower for major overhaul of these tiles. Scrubbing away, inserting a little groan here and there in hopes that Mr Lovey might appear and ask what is the problem-didn't work-he was playing guitar with his earphones on!! Scrubbing away, I found myself talking to the Lord and figured since I had to exert all this energy on a 'clean' shower maybe He could give me a little bible lesson while we scrubbed. Of course He did friends!
I started thinking about what lies below the surface. At first glance things might appear wonderful and shiny but underneath some grime has built up. Compromises, little things that we let in our lives after a while, guards that we no longer keep up to ensure that we don't cross certain lines or let certain things come in contact with us. It's so easy for these things to creep in and just sit there unnoticed. It's even easier when we start to compare ourselves with other Christians and think that we are doing well because we seem to have it more together than they do. It's good to go before the Lord as David did-in Psalm 139 where he asks the Lord to search him and see if any unclean thing is found in him. We need to do that often.
When I cleaned the shower today I wore gloves to protect my hands, I rolled up my sweats so they wouldn't get all messy and I had to lean in and scrub hard! I had to spray strong chemicals on the tiles to help get all the scum off. I had to bend down to be sure to get each tile.
We have the most beautiful example of our sweet Jesus cleaning-stooping down low, rolled up his garment and grabbed a towel. Jesus didn't put on gloves-He used His very hands-the hands that would soon take a nail through them. He wasn't afraid of the dirt. He didn't need to use harsh or strong chemicals-His blood would be enough to cleanse completely. He wants to get below the surface of our lives so that we are completely cleansed day by day. He wants us to be shining for Him! He doesn't want the ways of this world to infiltrate our lives in such a way hinders us from complete surrender to Him.
Later in the day I was baking some cookies for Sunday and started singing the song by Keith Green-O Lord You're Beautiful. As I was singing the words "replace the lamp of my first love that burned with holy fear" I thought it went along with what the Lord had taught me while cleaning the shower. That holy fear of doing anything or allowing anything in my life that might cause a build up of grime in my heart. I don't want it there. I want to be that vessel of honor, a vessel that is fit for my Master's use.
Praise the Lord that He is so gentle with us, that He cleanses us from all uncleaness when we confess our sins to Him. What a merciful Savior!! What a wonderful God!