My house is *currently* clean. Please excuse me for one moment as I do a happy dance.
Ok, I’m back. I don’t really like to clean. Seriously, ask prior roommates (Kally Hood-Smith, specifically) and they will back me up on this one. I mean, I will TRY to keep a slight handle on the clutter and do dishes often enough to avoid growing anything fuzzy in my sink, but as far as deep cleaning, I really need an outside reason to make it happen. Thanks to being brought up by my wonderful mama, my motivation is found when “company is coming.”
My sister Kathleen and brother-in-law are currently en route to spend a few precious days with us. So a large portion of my Friday was dedicated to cleaning this house plus or minus, top to bottom. About a month ago, my beloved parents-in-laws came down, which resulted in a cleaning frenzy so extensive that my husband lovingly yelled down the stairs from his own personal bathroom: “Sharita, sweetheart… WHY does my bathroom smell like FLOWERS?!?” (I am submitting my name for “Wife of the Year” for tackling THAT man zone of ickyness.)
Floral fragrances aside, I don’t necessarily clean for those people coming… Honestly, they could all care less if there is a spot on the mirror in the bathroom or the carpet hasn’t been vacuumed in two months. I do it for the feeling of relaxation… I can focus on their company and take pride in this house God has blessed us with.
Just like that awesome fresh feeling after a clean rain to replenish the air, a hot shower to wash away the sweat from a workout, or a florally-smelling bathroom… God has done the same for us with the sacrifice of His son.
One of my favorite songs to sing while I am cleaning is “Nothing but the Blood” by Matt Redman. Check out the chorus lyrics:
What can wash away our sins?
What can make us whole again?
Nothing but the blood
Nothing but the blood of Jesus
What can wash us pure as snow?
Welcomed as the friends of God
Nothing but Your blood
Nothing but Your blood King Jesus
God loved us SO MUCH that he didn’t just volunteer to clean our house, do our dishes, send rain or give us a bath. He sent his His beloved Son to DIE for us via a painful death on the cross so that we might have a hope for a future with Him. I can barely wrap my head around that.
The blood of Jesus is the ONLY thing that wash away our sin. Let’s rejoice in that clean, fresh feeling today. His blood has made us make us squeaky-clean and lemony-fresh in a way that we could have never achieve on our own!
Cleaned by His Grace,
SGK
“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.” –Psalm 51:1-2
