Just a forewarning: this post could be a little gross and TMI, but it will be so worth it. I promise. I have a reason here. Just bear with me, if you will.
So...living in a house that's 90% girls means we have messy bathrooms and cry sessions every night (okay, well, not every night, but close!). It also means that our shower can get really super clogged with hair after weeks and weeks of washing. (I know, ew!) We end up having to call our sweet dad (the only male in the house) to come and clean out the drain every couple months. He's awesome and always bears with it no matter how gross it is....which, trust me, it is! But on our most recent drain clean out, his willingness and gentleness in this humbling task caught me off guard. Rather, the Lord kinda caught me off guard through the moment. It was the most odd and surprising situation to hear from Him, but honestly, I really did-the Lord spoke this sweet beautiful truth into my heart that night, one that I so often forget but that is so so true, and I would love to share that with you. :)
You see, in my pops cleaning the shower, I saw more than just a kind dad who (somewhat begrudgingly) completes a necessary chore; I saw the love of our Savior in the most awesome way. Standing there over him at 11pm, when he could've been in bed or reading or doing something else more relaxing, he chose to come back to kindly do this thing he really could have left to my sister and I...yet we probably wouldn't do it near as well as he could. He could've complained there on his knees as he reached into piles of yucky hair mess. He could've ranted on us about not cleaning the shower enough or not telling him enough. But he didn't. And neither did Jesus make us wallow in our own sin. I'm so glad He didn't!
So let's take a look at this a little closer. As I thought more about this sweet truth, the Lord kept presenting me with more connections between my little shower cleaning experience and Jesus's mighty love for me, for all of us. Here's some of what I found...
-He does what we can't. He takes on the impossible for us and does it for our sake, out of nothing but pure LOVE. I had trouble believing it, but my dad made it sound like he really wanted to clean the shower for me. And so I think it is the same sometimes with us and Jesus, that He willingly forgives our sin and restores our hearts through His mighty salvation. We might not like or understand the idea of giving it all over to Him, but He does it. And it helps us SO MUCH.
-He takes our junk. We are undeserving and make mistakes, we feel like we should and really deserve to clean up our own mess. But Jesus gives us the greatest gift in saying that we don't have to clean up that mess. He takes it for us, gladly. He knows we can't clean our showers alone, and it is His joy to help us in that.
-He won't leave us in our junk. Out of His great great love for us, He chooses to take away all that nastiness that's clogging up our lives. He takes it out so that we might live freely, with His goodness flowing through us more fluidly than a freshly-cleaned drain.
-My father said he just wished that we had told him about the drain earlier so he could have cleaned it for us sooner. How often do you think God looks down/has looked that same way down upon us, wishing that we would stop putting it off or stressing about it and just bring our struggles, mistakes, worries, and sins to Him? He's the only one who can really take them and handle them, and He's so beyond willing and eager to go ahead and take these burdens for us.
-It's all about Him, not us. 'Cuz He is able to do more than we could ever do and everything we cannot do in our abilities. When we feel bad that we can't clean our showers, He's totally okay with it. He doesn't bully us for not being able to get it right all the time. He just willingly takes our sin where we are and guides us in that through His great love, that we might know His Love and His Way better.
{Can I just say there is nothing like a clean shower?!}
If a dad cares for a child like this, how much more will God not care for us? His word declares this powerful truth for us: “'Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!'”
Matthew 7:9-11 NIV
Friends, He LOVES you and wants to take whatever burden you may be facing now, whether it's a sin or a struggle or a fear or really anything at all! “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you," child! (1 Peter 5:7) Won't you run to His arms?
That night I was left feeling a lot better and a lot more at peace, reminded of my Father in heaven even through my earthly father. I thank Jesus for this sweet message of hope and light in the scary world that today can be, and I pray for you as I write these words, that you too would be filled with the fullness of His love. Love you always, though He loves you even more. ❤️
