YES....I will Clean and Pull those Weeds!

As I looked around the house this week I realized there is some serious cleaning that needs to be done. Not just the quick pick up and go as I've been doing alot of lately. But a scrub the floors, wipe down furniture with murphy oil soap, and scrub bathrooms kind of clean. And, to top that off, when I walked outside Monday I saw my walkway with weeds taking root and choking out my bushes and flowers my mom and I planted this spring.

These household tasks haven't been done because I've either been too lazy or just been out and about enjoying the pool, etc. and well, let's just say it ....avoiding the "deep cleaning" and "pulling weeds" in the hot summer days.  So, here I am having coffee, listening to K-love and "thinking" about all these things that need to be done when it hit me. Or should I say, Holy Spirit strikes again. Not only have I been avoiding the physical tasks at hand, I've been avoding the spiritual cleaning that I personally need as well! OUCH!

Many times we get so distracted and caught up in everyday life that we just run through our daily chores with a quick "swiffer" picker upper and put stuff out of sight so we (or others) don't have to see the mess. And, sadly we do the same thing spiritually and emotionally. We don't want to stop long enough to deal with any of the mind battles and struggles we are facing. We don't want to address the emotional roller coaster we may be on - so we tend to just "cover up" by staying even more busy and distracted!  Before long, we have dust settling in our spirit, "stuff" consuming our thoughts, and we have weeds choking out the joy of the Lord in our life - hiding the beauty a daily spirit-filled woman of God possesses.

My challenge for the remainder of the week is as I work from room to room, I will stop and ask the Lord to reveal areas in my heart, mind and spirit that needs a dusting, deep cleaning and even "weeding".  I know I have them.....this is a journey. We aren't perfect. And along the way we pick up some dirt and allow the "weeds" of the world to chock out what the Lord wants to blossom.  I want to be ever growing, ever becoming a clean vessel for the Lord to use.

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me."  Psalm 51:10