"Cleansing" Thoughts

The best inspiration  appears when I am  least expecting it.  That is what I tell my writing group all the time when they speak of frustration with their creativity.  I am thankful that the silly things in my life, the everyday routines that sometimes go awry, the unexpected things that pop up, connect to a message God streams into my heart.  So today for my "Momentous Monday" posting, I'd like to share with you one of those moments which happened Sunday afternoon.  

While unloading the dishwasher,  previously and rarely loaded I may  add, by my husband Ted the night before; I took out one of his numerous travel mugs.  While some "species" don't rinse off the dishes before they load them up...my particular lovable one went one step farther.  

Stuffed inside the coffee mug was his chip bag.  He  literally placed the mug upside down on the rack, trash still inside the cup.  Under the chip bag,  his tangerine peels. I just had to crack up, but carefully without using my ever present critical spirit, I laughingly went and showed him and then thanked him for giving me a blog subject.  He  just shook his head. I  don't know if that was towards me or him or both.   What I do know,  is that he had good intentions, but guess what?  The mug needed to go back through another cycle.  

Do you ever feel like you are not getting through to God?  You are pretty sure you followed all the right procedures,  you've placed yourself at His feet, accepted the cleansing blood, rinsed clean of your sin and grime, appeared on the outside as all sparkley and clean only to kid yourself.  What you thought you had given over to God was really just the easy stuff. The deep, dark pain and burdens, your true self, still  stuffed inside.  You were not quite honest with God and He cannot make you whole until this trash is  emptied at the cross as well. 

Speaking personally, God convicts me  with these insightful situations.  I am not immune.  I am just glad I can share them for it holds me ever so  more accountable.  Sometimes,  only  a little doubt, a pity-party attitude, a need to rush God and try and do things on my own,   a failure to confess that which I know; it is these things which keep  me from feeling every glistening grace bubble.  These  all lead to a clogged up spirit.  It's Jesus who reaches in and pulls out our trash and tosses it as far as the East is from the West. Hopefully we recognize it quick before we try to tackle this world with a dirty mug.   

Let me ask you today...What is your chip bag...what are  your tangerine peels?  Are they taking up space in a vessel that God wants to fill?  

Take the time to double check.  Ask God to reveal to you what may be hindering your ability to feel his Spiritual cleansing.  Jesus will turn you upside down and place you in His warm grace, gently washing away your sticky fingerprints of your own doing.  When we are ready to be used of Him, we will be all that He planned!  

Acts 10:15..."What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy."