The Great Sweep

I was sweeping the floor this afternoon, and although it didn't look too bad, I was surprised by how much dust, little pieces of whatever, food crumbs, toys and other miscelaneous items filled the dustpan. If someone just walked into my house, they would have been surprised that my floor was so dirty, even though it wasn't so obvious.

I love sweeping, because I love the before and after effect. Even when the floor doesn't look "really dirty" you know it is, and after you sweep, you see the difference and feel the difference when you walk on your hardwood floors and a bunch of crumbs don't adhere to your socks or bare feet. It's a good feeling. I will admit sometimes though, that sweeping is a bit overwhelming at times. At times it seems like I could sweep forever and never get every piece of dust or crumbs off the floor. I've had those times, when I swept the floors and then mopped, only to realize that I missed a pile or forgot to sweep one corner, then to clean that area only to find more stuff falling off the broom onto the newly swept and mopped floor.

I used to mop my floor a couple of times a week, trying to keep it clean, clean, clean. I usually sweep everyday, because if I don't it really builds up, with five people eating, walking and carrying things in from the outdoors on a daily basis, the dirt builds up.

So, as I was sweeping today, my heart made a little connection to, "The Great Sweep" that has happened in my life, and the mini-sweeps that happen on a daily basis. My life is the dirt, crumbs, toys, dust, little pieces of whatever strewn about. I try to keep myself together, dust the cobwebs of my life, pick up things that spill, throw away my trash, but even sometimes after I sweep really well, or mop with a good cleaner, there is still that pile that I miss or that dust bunny that just drops from the broom onto the newly cleaned floor.

And at times trying to keep my life, my heart, my mind all swept up and in perfect order is nearly impossible. It seems that my kids can go for days, even weeks without spilling something on the floor, that is until I decided to mop the floor, then for some reason, they will spill that day and the next, and I feel frustrated because, I just cleaned the floor, and now it's all sticky and messy, and I have to clean it again, and I don't want to...

For me, that is life in a lot of ways, we clean up really well, or so we think and then, we mess up our lives, or someone messes with our lives and we feel overwhelmed, or frustrated with ourselves and others, and we feel like we are a huge mess. I have by the grace of God accepted the fact that I  needed, "The Great Sweep" in my life. For me, " The Great Sweep" was Jesus and his death on the cross. When he died he took all my dirt with him, all my mess and swept it up, then threw it away. When He showed me the pile of  my life and asked me if it was mine, I agreed it was mine, but that I didn't need nor want it. He told me he could sweep it up and do away with it, something I could never do on my own. When he rose from the dead, not only was He alive,but I was made alive too.

His death and resurection changed the way I needed to clean my house (my life). Now that I have experienced, " The Great Sweep" in my life, I don't try to get every corner immaculate, every dust bunny cleared, every piece of dust swept up. I know that I can't, I will never be able to see it all. I know my eyes don't see me as God can. I can look at my life, and think, " oh, it's not that bad, I don't see too much dirt" However, I know God has seen all my dirt, and he has done away with it all.

Even though God has cleansed my life, I still collect dust, junk, crumbs, I still need a good sweep, but I don't do it myself. When I look around my life and see that it's all piling up again, or when I look around and think everything is just fine, and I don't have any dirt, it's a good time for me to ask God to inspect my house, my life and sweep up whatever he finds, that isn't pleasing to him, to lift up the rugs and show me what's underneath, to point out the piles, I have missed and to do away with it. This is my confession to God that my life apart from him, will always be a mess. It's also my confession of faith, that I believe He can handle my mess, and would like him to do so.

The Great Sweep is my salvation, it gives me the freedom to live my life with a desire to please God, to make mistakes, knowing the one who sees it all will not reject me, knowing, I can confess my mistakes, my neediness, my brokenness to God and he will act accordingly. He has given me the freedom to live a life of purpose and grace, knowing, I am free, forgiven, loved and that I belong.