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A Clean Sweep

One of the reasons I was hesitant to get another dog was the fur. Our yellow lab shed like nobody's business.  I was able to convince Jim to get a chocolate lab instead of another yellow one because of the dark wood floors in our new home. I reminded him of the yellow fur that was nearly impossible to keep up on at our old house. I could only imagine that yellow fur constantly nagging for my attention with a swifter on these floors. So, it's a beautiful thing that Annie's hair blends right in with the floor. Or is it? 

I can have that attitude sometimes of  "if I can't see the dirt, it must not be dirty" sort of like " if I don't step on the scale today, I won't really have gained those extra five pounds from all the chocolate I ate over the weekend".  Am I alone on that? 
 
As I was sweeping up the other day, I was horrified to see such a large pile accumulate. How long had it been since I last swept? I hadn't noticed all this stuff on the floor. How can my little Annie cause such a mess? 

I remember when I first starting working at Starbuck's. Every week the manager would schedule a two to four hour shift known as a " clean sweep". Whoever was scheduled was to do serious cleaning.  Whether that was the floor drains, refrigerator vents, grout, or windows it needed to sparkle. Starbuck's held their stores to a high level of cleanliness. Every now and again I have incorporated that "clean sweep" into my housework. Apparently, from the looks of this photo, I could apply that more frequently. 

This got me to thinking about the attitudes of my heart. Does my heart need a clean sweep?  How often do I assume that if I can't see the pile of dirt in my life it must not be dirty. I read this the other day in my bible, “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?" (Jeremiah 17:9 NLT). The human heart is the most deceitful. I don't even know what is in there so how can I do a clean sweep on my heart? Another verse popped to mind: " Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. (Psalms 139:23-24 NLT)

God knows my heart better than I do. I can think I can hide my dirt-pride, anger, resentment, jealously, laziness, anxiety-  to name a few, but He knows what's in my heart. God cares most about the heart. I think that is why we are told "Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life."  (Proverbs 4:23 NLT) If God knows my heart better than I do, I need Him to show me the dirt that is in there. That's why I love this prayer of David's to " search, test and point out anything that offends God". 

So, I shouldn't have been surprised that after I did this clean sweep on my floors and then asked God to search, test and point out anything in my heart that offends Him.  He used my husband to point out some dirt. Man, I so dislike when He does that! We were heading out for a run and I was commenting, ok maybe complaining, about some of the things that seem to keep going wrong with the house and I'm just sure there will be more. He, very matter of fact said " you sure have become more anxious"  or maybe he said stressed, same difference I suppose. Anyway, it  stopped me in my tracks. I haven't been anxious in a very long time or so I thought. Seems to have been some dirt in my heart that I couldn't see. I mean it blended in so nicely who would have noticed? Yikes! I know better than to worry or be anxious about things I can't control. As much as I disliked hearing those words " you sure have become anxious" I'm glad he said them. It's a small pile from my heart that needed a clean sweep. 

Once again, I had to confess I have been freaking out a bit internally. It's dirt in my heart that people might not see and I've been deceiving myself in thinking it must not really be there.  I'm at that place of letting go ( again)  and trusting God. It is a daily choice to follow His way and His way does not include worrying about what might or might not happen. I'm so thankful He continues to work on my heart and do a clean sweep as needed. 

People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy. (Proverbs 28:13 NLT)

-Pressing On 

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