Save Us From Ourselves

The message was clear; clean up, pack up, before it is too late. When Kim gave an impassioned plea to help clean out the church which had housed the Salvation Army for more than a hundred- years for vacancy, I had no idea what lay before me. Into a small space no larger than a walking-in closet, was a debris-filled room crammed with left-overs from decades ago. Old tapes, VHS, plastic cutlery, several vacuum cleaners, all in working-condition no less, CDS, bulletins, programs, tithing envelopes, old SantacCostumes, decorations from Christmas past, and even a Christmas tree found their way to the center of the room.



Assessing the Damage

Where do we start?



Our lives, unfortunately, are much like this ill-used room, crammed with un-dealt with issues, unhealed hurts, unmet needs, regrets, bitterness, and loss. When we think about facing the demons we have stuffed down emotionally, spiritually, and physically for years, we become faint-hearted. How could we bear to tackle the demons that reside in that dark closet of our hearts? Like children, we fear waking the monster of our past. But, there comes a time in everyone’s life, when they simply have to move.

That day dawned bright and early for Billie. Alas, the church was to be closed. Whether he was prepared or not, moving day was upon him.  He needed the help of friends and strangers to get him ready for his next journey. How like us, we can’t get where we are going without help. But receiving help means, we remain vulnerable. The world gets to witness our mess, our brokenness, our neediness.





Billie appraises  the progress.

  

Graciously, it was into such a mess that Y’Shua came. He knew all of our dirty little secrets, the pet demons, and licentious lusts, and yet He came.  He put on human skin and lived like one of us amongst the murk and dirt of society. One piece by dirty slovenly piece, He cleans out our closet. He washes the walls of our hearts with his blood, and vacuums about the broken decayed pieces of our tattered dreams. After He sets the room of our heart aright, He comes and resides there giving us piece. Now, that is quite a deal.

Still Cleaning,

MJ

1 Corinthians 3:16-17: "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are."