Lest we decieve ourselves...

I have recently begun to use the popular Swiffer Sweeper on my tile floors...you know the one,  skinny handle with a rubber pad at the bottom to which you attach a special dry or wet cloth. There are few products that I would endorse but this one gave me such a rude awakening, I would have to agree with its claims. In preparation for guests, I have always assumed that once I swept the floor, it was clean. 

Then I used the Swiffer with the dry 'magnetic' cloth and went over the floor again. I was appalled at what the broom had missed! So I changed to a new cloth...still more dirt and dog hair. Finally I switched to the wet Swiffer cloth. Surely after sweeping with a new broom and two Swiffer dry cloths, there can't be any more dirt. Did I say that I was appalled before? Well now we are talking A-P-P-A-L-L-E-D.  More dirt, more dog hair and a few dead ants mixed in. Much head shaking and heavy sighing.

It reminded me of a devotional piece that I wrote years ago when I authored a column in a local newspaper titled Reflections. The parallel to my plight is too obvious to miss.  If you, too, are in need of some prodding, join me in reading on.

                                                                       ~ ~ ~ ~

She thought her house was clean; not spotless, but clean  enough to be healthy and dirty enough to be happy. But the morning sun shown through and revealed a room full of dust, grime, crumbs and fingerprints. "But wait until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the things hidden in darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts."

She seldom bothered to clean a couple of places she was sure no one could see anyway, but there they were. "Be sure your sins will find you out."

Other things - important things - had kept her busy, kept her from doing a better job, but all the excused seemed useless now.  "So then each of us will give account of himself to God."

After all, there would always be time tomorrow. "Today is you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts."

She could think of several friends who homes were surely worse then hers. "For there is no partiality with God."

Oh, Father, I want to be ready when You, the guest, come for me. Keep me diligent as I go about my spiritual housecleaning with the same determination that I give to my floor.

Copyright 2013