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Something Happened while Sheltering at Home

Crystal Roseborough, Administrative Assistant to Lead & Executive Pastors

I CLEANED MY OVEN!!!!!   I didn't mean to.  I didn't want to.    But there I was, smack dab in the middle of my work morning and it happened.  It had to happen and it had to happen now!

MY OVEN BROKE.  It had been four weeks, and my husband who had ordered the part decided that as soon as it came, he was in need of some biscuits for dinner!  Not telling me, he closed the door to my little office space and went to work.   (He loves surprises)

I opened the door, walked out to get a drink and there he was, on the floor, straining in front of an oven torn apart. Pieces everywhere!   It was exciting…..until I started looking more closely.  What happened?  Who's in charge of this oven anyway?  

I used to enjoy cleaning, actually.  I'm not sure when that changed, but it did and if I'm being honest I can't even remember the last time my oven really got cleaned.  You know the kind of cleaning, where things are torn apart and it's not just the quick once over for guests to come.

So…this was the time!  My oven was in pieces and I couldn't bare to put it back together knowing what was lurking inside.    Little by little, piece by piece, the more I did…the more needed to be done!  Tell me you've been there!

Sometimes that's what happens when we don't keep up on the cleaning of our hearts.  We go along, doing just enough to be presentable as a believer.   But unexpectedly, something breaks.
We weren't planning it…we weren't wanting it.  It just happens!

We all need to get in there sometimes….  Into the grooves and the not fun parts of our lives to do deep cleaning.  But….. What if we cleaned more consistently?  The job wouldn't be so big.  It wouldn't take so much elbow grease!

Psalm 37:23 The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in Him.

What if we establish our steps more often, more consistently?   Great delight is on offer!

But….what if we don't take care of the things that are lurking?  In the very next verse, God speaks to that as well!

 V 24: …though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand.  

The great news is, that if we fail to find the places where unhealthy patterns, thoughts and actions are hiding and then something really breaks, God is there to enter into the deep grooves of our brokenness, holds our hand and helps us do the deep cleaning.  In fact, the deep cleaning is so much better when done with a friend.  Let's not be afraid to ask for help.  Let's not be unwilling to go to God with the truth about the non-shiny places of our being.

Even months into this, and especially as restrictions are tightened again, it is good to ask what sheltering at home can offer you?  

Perhaps some extra time to do some delight-filled maintenance!!

I'm sure looking forward to those biscuits tonight, from that shiny oven of mine!

1 Comment


Regina - July 7th, 2020 at 8:53am

Thank you for this reminder..."Create in me a clean heart Oh God and renew a right Spirit within me." 💗

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