¿Habla español?

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.” 💗

Categories

Tags

1 Kings 12 Days of Christmas 20 minutes 2020 Acts Adonai American way America Antelope Valley Apostle Paul Apostle's Creed Bibile Bible study Bible Birmingham Book of Acts But God COVID-19 COVID Calvary Charlies Angels Christian Voter Guide Christian home Christmas Church Colossians Communication Confessional Prayer Corinthians Dallas Willard David Devotional Doing Life Together Eastertide Easter Ecclesiastes Emmanuel Ephesians Epiphany Esther Father in Heaven Father's Day Father Galatians God With Us God first God is good God of peace God still Moved God's Will God\'s Will Good Friday Gospel of John Gospel of Luke Gospel of Mark Gospel of Matthew Happy Father's Day Hawaii Hebrews Holy Spirit Hosea How are you doing How to Pray I want that Instagram Isaiah 43 Isaiah James Brown James Jenna Bush Hagar Jeremiah 29:11 Jeremiah Jesus John 3:16 John Hughes John Wesley John Judy Garland King David Kingdom Come Kingdom of God Leadership Lectio Divina Light of the World Lord Love is Love your neighbor Luke MLK Malachi Mama Bear Mark Martin Luther King Jr. Mary Matthew Memorial Day Merry Christmas Micah 6:8 Micah Molly Ringwald Monday Night Manna Mother Hen Mothers Day Nancy Drew Nehemiah New Testament Old Testament Only God Knows Paul Pentecost Peter Philippians Prince Phillip Prince of Peace Proverbs 13 Proverbs Psalm 10 Psalm 139 Psalm 23 Psalm 40 Psalm 42 Psalm 46 Psalms of Joy Pursuing the Presence of God Queen Elizabeth Revelation Romans Ruth Haley Barton Savior Sermon Sheridan Voysey Son of God Son of Man Son Spider Man Sunday School Surprised by Joy TV Target Thanksgiving The Free Market The Lord's Prayer The Sound of Music Timothy Titanic Today Show Twelfth Night Veggietales Voter Guide Wizard of Oz Women in Leadership Women of Faith Women's Bible Study abide abstain accused act justly action adoration adventure advice advocate afraid allelon alone anchor anger answers anxiety app art ask attack authority awe awkward back to school balance baptism be kind be open be prepared be still and know beaten and condemned beauty and struggle beauty belief believe belonging betrayed by a kiss betrayed black friday blackbelt blameless bleeding woman blessed blessing blog body bond bookmark book boundaries breadsticks broken brotherhood burden butter called by God called by name called carbs care cause celebrate centered in Christ challenges change childbirth children choice choosejoy choose christian christ chronic illness church nerd alert church online citizen civil rights clean hearts cleaning comfort comment community compassion into action compassion compost confession of faith confession conflict resolution conflict confusion connection connect consumer culture contemplative prayer conversation with God conversation corruption court tv court creation creative juice creativity cross crucified and kind crucified crucify dad dating daughtership daughters death defense delight denied depression differently abled disabled discernment discipleship discipline discovery discrimination distracted divine divinity do good do the action donate doughnuts dreams dream early church eating disorder eden election emotional health emotions empathy encouragement endurance enjoy enough excess expectations failure faithfulness faith fall family dynamics family fun family of God family systems family fangirl fasting fast favorite scripture favorite things fear feel find and follow Jesus fine flexible forgiveness forgive free time freedom free friendship friends fruit funeral fun future gaining faith galaxy garden generations generosity genesis gift give it away give life giving goals god good news good shepherd gospels gospel government grace of God grace grass is always greener gratitude gravy great cloud of witnesses green bean casserole green thumb grief grieve grit groups growth ham hangover happiness harmony harsh truth head healing healthy habit heart sick heart help holding tight holidays holiday homeless homeostasis homeschool honor hope deferred hope how the Lord speaks how to read scripture how to talk about loss how to worship how to humanity human humility humor innocent inspiration intercessory prayer intimacy introvert invitation isolation join journal journey joy just believe justice kids kindness kind kingdom of heaven knock lament laughter learn lent let it be life together light listen live loneliness longing losing faith loss love in action love mercy love story love the Lord love loving like Jesus magi map marathon march marginalized marriage mashed potatoes meditation memorial memories mental health mentalhealthmonth messiah momlife mom motivated by joy mourn moved with compassion move mystery navigate need neighbors neighbor new beginning new normal new season new year newlywed news new nickname normal not alone not easy note to self nothing but joy nourishment now and not yet nowandnotyet nurse offering one body online overflowing with gratitude pain pandemic parenting parents pastor patience patient peacemaker peacemaking peace perseverance personal prayer perspectives perspective petition phillipians pity planted by water plan play something podcast politics potatoes practice of confession practicing gratitude pray for pastors pray without ceasing prayer request prayerwarrior prayer praying praywithoutceasing pray preach prepare presence of God present priortize prize promise of God promise prophetic psalms psalm purpose quarantine questioning God questions quiet race read reconciliation reconnect recovery reevaluate reflect regather regret rejoice relationships relationship remember repentance repost research resilience resources respect rest resurrection retreat rhythms riot road to the cross roles routine ruby slippers rules sabbath sacred sadness safe at home safe salvation scalloped potatoes schedule scripture about justice scriptures about fear scriptures about joy scriptures about peace scriptures about race scriptures scripture searching seasons season seek self-care self-denial self-differentiation serve serving share shelter at home shepherds signs silence simple pleasures single dad single mom single parent sing sinking sink slowly smile sober social distancing social media soil solitude sonship soul care soul music spiritual disciplines spiritual health spiritual practices spirit spring stars starting point star stayathome still good stop and look up storm storytelling streams of water strength stress struggleisreal study success sudden suffering of Christ suffering summer support surrender take heart talking with kids teacher tears technology template thank God the truth is out there the truth will set you free the way the truth and the life theology thessalonians think thisistheday time tithe to be honest together traditions transformed transition trauma treasure tree of life trials trust and obey trust in the Lord trust truth turkey understanding unfailing love unity universe vacation vice president virtual voices volunteer vote vulnerable waiting waking up walk humbly we cannot go back weather wedding welcome welcoming prayer wisdom wise counsel woman at the well woman caught in adultery women pastors women wonder worry worship yield youmatter zoom