I just spent six weeks not running my sweeper, not cleaning toilets, not working out in the yard; basically, I had six weeks of sitting on my rear. Major abdominal surgery is no joke. And the surgeon left nothing to the imagination when describing the possible implications of not following the restrictions. Needless to say, Kenny made sure I was compliant.
Growing up I had a clear understanding of what it meant to clean. There were things you did and also things you didn’t do. You DON’T dust a shelf one item at a time. You DO take everything off of the table, shelf, etc. and dust the entire surface. You don’t just use the attachments on the baseboards. You dust them with a rag as well. You use a broom on the hardwood, then you use the sweeper, and THEN you can mop. You get the picture, right?
I carried these routines into my own home. If I’m to be honest, I even added some others that might indicate I’m somewhere on the spectrum; but we don’t need to discuss that today.
All of that time of inactivity was a blessing in disguise. I poured over scripture. I devoured books. I sat in silence. I took naps with worship music playing in order to saturate my mind at all times. It was wonderful and terrible.
One of the verses that continued to challenge me was Amos 8:11-12 ~ “Behold, the days are coming” declares the Lord GOD, “when I will send a famine on the land – not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the LORD, but they shall not find it”. Now a short blog is never adequate to uncover all that God packs into a verse. But the first thing I was convicted of was how guilty we are of confusing Bible study, small groups, and conferences with our “God time”. Let me explain.
Going to Bible study on a Wednesday night, getting together with small group on Saturday, or going to a conference on Friday evening are all great things. But they should never replace or take precedence over our personal time with God. In this culture of “self,” it would seem that being alone with God would be at the top of the list. But the ugly truth is that many of us don’t want to sit quietly with God because of what He might say to us. He might call us out of our comfort zone to take action and DO something. Worse yet, He might reveal an area of our life that needs to be “bleached”. Maybe it’s an unaddressed sin. Some attitude or posture that stands in contrast to His Word. It could be that we’ve never encountered or understood His holiness which means we aren’t in awe of Him and don’t see ourselves for the wretch we are.
A famine of hearing the Word of God is serious business. And this morning while sitting in church and hearing Pastor Kris preaching through Luke 13, I was punched in the gut. Without my inactivity of the previous weeks, this morning might have been one of many incredible messages that he’s delivered. I would’ve taken notes. I would probably turn to Kenny or my friends sitting close by and whisper, “Oh! I think he should say that louder for the people in the back”. It’s even likely that we would’ve talked about it on the drive home or over lunch. But because I’ve allowed The Word to take up residence while I sit and listen, the message brought conviction. Even so, I was drawn by love, mercy, and grace. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that my heart is safe with Him.
How exactly does this tie into my lack of cleaning for six weeks? I’m super glad you asked.
Much like my house, my heart is dirty. Running the sweeper quickly before company comes over happens all the time (kinda looks like posting Bible verses on social media or carrying my well-worn Bible with me). But if they were to look closely in the corners or under the table or behind the couch, that reveals a different story. If I’m obsessing over the condition of my home, how much more should I be obsessing over the condition of my heart? How much more attention should I be giving to the God who saves me and wants to transform me?
God, please don’t let us stop hearing from you. Show us your glory. Bring us with open hearts to sit with you and hear what you have to say.
Friends, you can find me over here “focusing on the corners”. I think I’m gonna be a while.
I love this…it a world so loud it is in these quiet times we can hear His still small voice that comes in a whisper. I sat in Adoration Chapel this morning and listened in the quiet…some many beautiful things God spoke into my weary soul today. I came away refreshed and stronger. Thanks lil lady for sharing.