It’s a mama’s worst nightmare – the dirt filled spaces
beneath the cupboards, the oven, the fridge, and in the cushions of the couch. Those places that might label us as less-than,
as a failure or a mess. The spaces
that we often forget when we clean house.
The areas that are just too hard to get to. The places where no one looks, possibly out
of respect, but maybe also out of fear of just what may be found! But we’ve all had at least one time when a
visitor was searching for a lost set of keys, or something of the sort, and
dared to lift the cushion...and as the cushion lifted, we can remember vividly
how our hearts seemed to pause, waiting for the horror to be revealed: would it simply be a coin they found or would
it be a melted chocolate bar or something even worse?! I bet that no matter what they saw, you
probably shared a good laugh and I bet they came over again. Why?
Because it’s
completely normal.
It’s one of his favorite things to do, he gets the
flashlight and searches for anything worth finding. He laid flat out on the floor and looked
under everything intently. I watched and
felt my heart well with joy at his innocence.
He was treasure
hunting. In the dirty places.
My boy wasn’t searching the toy box we just cleaned up, he
was looking in the places I would rather turn a blind eye toward. He pointed and repeated “ball, ball, mom-mom,
ball,” as he excitedly beckoned me to pull it out for him. I got
down on my knees and looked past all the…well…you know, and got the ball for my
precious child.
Oh, how my heart needed the simple words He whispered. I’ve been in such desperate need of His
grace, of His forgiveness and of His love.
Yet I feel so unworthy as the “dirt-filled” places of my heart are revealed
as His Holy light shines like a flood-light. I want to take all the times I
raise my voice, lose my temper, and fall disturbingly short and brush them
somewhere no one else can see. But there’s
almost always the eyes of those I love the most. Little lives looking for an example to follow
and reflecting that which they are given.
There’s a husband who just lavishes love upon this heart who is anything
but deserving of it. I am guilty of
being imperfect, of most-often feeling as though I have nothing to offer and
fearing that somehow I will let Him down.
I want to hide it, to cover it all and invite Him into a heart that is
put-together, that pleases Him with good works and good words and feels like I
have something good to offer.
But the Truth is that He wants none of that.
He didn’t come for my good works.
He didn’t come for the good words I want to speak.
He didn’t come for the times I feel good and feel like
opening up my heart to Him.
No, He came for it all.
Because He alone is good. It is His strength that is made perfect in my weakness. It is His
mercy that is made new every morning.
It is His grace that is
sufficient. What pleases Him most is when I lay down my life for His sake. Not
when I pick it all up and simply hand Him pieces that, from my earth-bound perspective,
may fit sufficiently into His eternal plan.
Somehow I lose sight of the cross and I try to be god of my own life, planning
and tidying places that can only be washed by His blood. Un-necessary striving in a work that's already been completed on the cross.
Because those dirty places?
Those places we think only we keep hidden?
Well, they are completely
normal.
They are part of this fallen world and we all have them. What matters most is what we choose to do with
them. Will we stay hidden and settle for
a life of less-than? Or will we trust in
His goodness and lay it all before Him as a treasure to be found by the
Most-High, Holy King? As His light dispels
the darkness of our hearts, we shine for Him. We no longer hang our heads with veiled faces,
hoping no one notices or sees us for who we are. It is through Him that we are made whole,
where our confidence is placed and where we find life to the full. He comes close to His precious children and
He shows us the places that need His touch and that’s where the treasure is
found. It’s where the most brilliant
stones lay waiting.
“The LORD does not
look at the things people look at.
People look at outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7
"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." Luke 19:10
“Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 AMP
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