I don’t know about you, but getting ready for Christmas at our house entailed some “winter cleaning.”
Christmas Day offered a good excuse to clean this place up – stem to stern – and make this home *sparkle*
Housekeeping – my little gift to my husband.
I’ve shared with you before that “The Hub” is a neatnik. And I am not. So, when he gets into Mr. Clean mode, I put on my gloves and jump in with him – and we CLEAN! (Gotta give “The Hub” a little shout-out here – he really helps me with this project – he’s such a KEEPER!)
OK, looked up “cleaning” in Sharon’s Synonym Dictionary (NOT to be confused with the many other Sharon Dictionaries out there…)
Scrubbing, scouring, wiping, waxing, polishing, vacuuming, hanging (I hear you asking – hanging?? That would be hanging as in “hanging up my clothes” – after all, this is Sharon’s dictionary, and Sharon has a BAD habit of NOT hanging up her clothes. Mrs. Messy is a diehard…)
One of my tasks was cleaning the mirrors.
Oh, how I love this task. Really!
Why? Well, for one thing, you can see instant results! You can see the grime come off. You can see the dust particles wiped away. You can see that filmy thing that happens with mirrors disappear. You can see…well, you can SEE!
Windex is my friend.
When I was done, I looked at my reflection in the mirror. I could see myself so much clearer, because the dingy mirror now *sparkled*
It’s the same way with God.
We were made in the very image of God. Beautiful, sparkling, clear reflections of Him. Perfect in every way…
Ahem.
Then we got dirty.
We let the dust of disobedience dim our glow. We let the grime of self and pride accumulate. We let that filmy thing that happens with sin dull our reflection of God.
I don’t want to be a dull reflection. Do you?
I want to reflect my Savior’s glory. I want to reflect His kindness and love. I want to shine forth His image. I want people to look at me, and see Him.
I want to mirror Jesus.
How can we accomplish this?
We give God the cleaning rag, and we let Him “have at it.” Every single part of us. Every hidden corner. Every dusty, grimy, filthy, filmy thing inside.
Holy Windex.
That’s what I’m talking about!
Oh Lord, I just want to be Your reflection. I want others to see You in me. Do what You have to do to clean me. Make me Your image-bearer. Make me sparkle with Your Spirit, and shine with Your Love.
BLOG = “Blessedly Leaning On God!”
Hi Sharon,
ReplyDeleteJust passing by to say Hi, will come back and read your post again later. I am not feeling too well this morning and have a headache. God Bless - Nita
Holy Windex???
ReplyDeleteWell, why not! I love it so I'll be borrowing that one. (Check synonyms in the Debbie Dictionary: stealing... nabbing...)
I love the conviction to be a clearer reflection of Him. I need some Holy Windex.
And also...You made me laugh out loud at the "hanging" because that's a stronghold here too. My husband calls my chair in the master bedroom my "upholstered closet". Men.
And also... I LOVE the word of the year! Determined is kind of like a three syllable GO. OK, that might be a stretch, but I am determined to find yet more common ground. Do you know the song "I am Determined"? It can be your theme song.
I can't believe you have trouble hanging up your clothes! That's terrible! (*wink*) ... don't ask me why I just got rid of the chair that was in a corner of my bedroom.... :)
ReplyDeleteGreat post and analogy. Totally makes sense! So true about our lives (and our "lights") becoming dull and dingy with stuff! I am quite familar with the Holy Windex....So thankful that He loves us enough to scrub until we shine with His reflection! :)
Hi Sharon -
ReplyDeleteThank you for this reminder that we have a duty to reflect JESUS in our lives, habitually. I love your expression, "Make me sparkle with Your Spirit, and shine with Your love."
Yes, indeed Sharon, - our Lord charges us to have pure hearts and clean hands.
When we allow ourselves to be polluted, truly, we need to be about dust busting.
We need to PLEDGE
because we serve MR. CLEAN
and we need more than sponge baths.
We need to soak, preferably, with
DOVE in the bath,
and some PUREX for our garments.
Great SCOTT - this will TIDE us over until...
Lord, please help us to be clean to bring You
JOY! Thank You, Lord - Amen
Hi Sharon -
ReplyDeleteThis is funny because based on when you posted your comment on my blog this date and when I posted my first comment on your Windex post - you and I were on each other's blogs commenting at about the same time! When I finished commenting here earlier, I went to my blog and noticed that you had commented there very near the same time...(I believe that we are three hours apart in time).
Note: About that book that you mentioned, is it fiction or non-fiction?
Nita - I'm so sorry to hear that you're not feeling so well. I've had headaches all my life - they're miserable. Hoping that you soon feel much better. Take care - I'm praying...
ReplyDeleteDebbie - I'm so glad you get the "hang-up" I have! Upholstered closet - clever - sarcastic, but clever. No, I haven't heard that song - I'll do a little searching for it. I need a theme song. Holy Windex - why does that also remind me of an old "Batman" rerun?? Holy Windex, Batman - we have to fight the devil! Seriously, though - yes, I want to be a clear reflection of Jesus.
Shelly - Oh good, I'm not the only "messy" out there! I hate the scrubbing part that Jesus has to do in my life - but the result - that shine - THAT is worth it!
Sandra - Oh my friend, you are just so very clever! How you make me smile! We are three hours apart, and it should come almost as no surprise that you and I are "visiting" at the same time. I continue to sense a synchronization in what God gives us to say and when to say it. I'm liking that! The book I mentioned is NON-FICTION - which is why I liked it. To know the inspiration is REAL just makes it that much MORE inspiring - (and it also has a real message about faith in God, too).
GOD BLESS!
Hello Sharon, I am a very neat person, cleaning windows and mirrors isn't such a bad chore, especially after reading your blog. I want to get straight to it and clean some grime. Wonderful post Sharon! In His Love, Kerrie. xOx
ReplyDeleteG'day Sharon, I have come back to ask you a question. I don't know what they are called, so I hope you will know what I am talking about. Do you have a little picture button thingy (perhaps your profile picture) that I can add to my site (on the sidebar) so that people can click on it to come visit your site? It is not something I have done before, but you have so much to offer. You are such a talented writer and I'm confident there are many people out there who should and would love to be reading your blogs. Please do not feel obligated in anyway. If this is not something you would like to do that is quite alright. Hugs and smiles to you. Love from Kerrie. xOx
ReplyDeleteKerrie - My husband will be very happy to know that there's another "Neatnik" out there! Glad you were inspired to clean - literally and spiritually!
ReplyDeleteAs to your second comment - First of all, let me just say how much your thoughtful and kind words touched my heart. When others are encouraged by the words God gives me to say, I am blessed with great joy.
OK, I don't have a blog button (I know what you're talking about). To be quite honest, I've thought about having one, but I don't know how to make one!! My computer "literacy" only goes so far as of right now! Maybe that should be something I look into - a New Year's resolution perhaps?! So, as of now, the only way I could think of to link back to me is to add a "Blog List" gadget to your sidebar. I've done that - (look for "Eagle Altitude" - it's on there!!) The blog list can be set up with just the names of the blogs, or to show the name and the latest post (that's what I've done). The gadget will ask for a "site" link when you add blogs to it - providing an automatic "linkback" to the blog. IF you decide to do something like this, and you don't know how to set it up, let me know - THAT is something I have been able to figure out! :)
Anyway, I'm so honored that you would even consider this - thank you again.
GOD BLESS!