Let the Light Shine!

On Sunday I wasn't in the best mood.

Yes, it's true.

I was in one of those moods where the little things were annoying me....where little things out of place made my skin crawl. I had buried the fruits of the spirit. I spoke words like: "this is so frustrating", "our house is such a mess", "I just don't get how someone could not pick this up"...and so on.

I am not sure what got me to that point, but I was there!

Sunday in Washington was cold but there were some streams of sun shining through those fall clouds. My house is small but it has a lot of windows. When you walk in to my house...you see the entry, living, dining and part of the kitchen...and my son's room which is right in front of the door. You can see most of my house. I was standing in the middle of my living room...and the light, streaming through the windows showed every speck of dust, dirt, and out of place thing in my house.

The light exposed the mess.

The light exposed the layers of dust.

The light exposed the dirt.

I could see it all...just laying on the floor, on the furniture, floating in the air.

The light...something we should look forward to. But it made me want to cry. It showed me everything that was lurking in my house...the dirt, grime, the layers of dust...the things I have been ignoring for a while that allowed them to land there.

I wanted the clouds to cover the blue skies so that the light would be cut off and I didn't have to see it so clearly.

I wanted to shut the blinds and the curtains so that no one could peek in and see it. I didn't want the dirt and dust to be exposed.

For the next two days I slowly took the time to dust. I fixed my vaccum and put it to work. I got out the bleach and I scrubbed. I found the clutter and put it in place. I found some boxes and packed up things that were just taking up space....things we really didn't need in our house...they were adding no value but just things to fill a void (I thought). I went through my closet and pulled stuff off the hangers. I put them in a bag and loaded them in my van to give away.

I began to clean it up. I began to clear it out.

Today the sun is shining in again. But the dust is less. The dirt is less. The clutter is less. Is it gone? no. Will it come back? yes. Will I know how to wipe it away? yes.

Light exposes the dirt. It exposes the things we don't want to look at. It exposes the things we have kept hidden or the clutter that invades our hearts and minds. Hurt. Pride. Envy. Saddness. Anger. Distrust. Unbelief. Boredom. Irratation. It's not fair. Mundane. Why me? Sin. Clutter. Dirt. Dust.

We try to hide the light. We shut the blinds. We shut people out. We close the curtains. No one will see. We turn out the lights. No one will notice.

God turns on the light so that we can see it. So that we can start to sweep the dirt away. Wipe out the grime. And see the when it is gone...when we know how to combat it with the light...the truth...the Word of God...then we will live in freedom.

We try to block out the light. But God wants us to run to it. We try to shut out the light. But God wants us to pull back the curtains, open up the blinds and let the light shine in.

What if someone saw the dust? Then they get to see God's glory when it is wiped away. What if someone saw the grime on the bathroom floor? Then they get to see God's glory when it is scrubbed away and as white as snow...cleansed of grime and dirt. It's not about us. It is about God and others and how they will draw closer to him. Maybe our dirt...will be the light that helps someone else become clean.

I have hidden from the light many times.

I have shut the blinds so no one could see.

I have turned the lights off so the room was dark.

I have cried and been broken over the mess.

But God...

He wiped away the dust.

He scrubbed away the grime.

He cleaned up the clutter.

He threw away the garbage.

He shined His light.

He opened up the blinds and through open the curtains.

He invited me to see what HE sees...a cleansed and clean person.

God' Word.
God's Truth.
God's Love.

Those are His cleaning tools.

Let the light shine in. Allow Him to expose the dirt and dust and grime. Don't hide from it.

Today the sun is again shining through my window. It is frozen outside. The air is crisp. The fire is on. And the light...it is shining through. My perspective has changed. The things I did the other day to clean up....the labor has been worth it. There is less dust. There is less dirt. My view of my house is grateful instead of hateful. I have to keep it up...keep it clean...keep wiping away the clutter and dirt...so that God's glory will shine through.

In love, Teresa