Deep Cleaning

There's nothing like a good power tool to teach a man a lesson. And this weekend, I learned one. I had borrowed my father's power washer to clean our deck in preparation for a re-staining project. It started right up, I got to the back-aching task of running it for hours on end, and God was faithful to point to His truth. His grace-filled truth.

The idea of God cleaning us is a common one in scripture. It is found throughout both the Old and New Testaments. It is something that is presented as both a great need that we have as humans, and as a great promise of God to deliver. Let me encourage you to grab a good concordance and walk through the Bible noting all the cleansing that God provides to us through the blood of Christ. His finished work on the cross does more than just gain entrance to heaven. It goes deep into our sinful souls and accomplishes work that we otherwise would be unaware of, let alone desire on our own. Just as planks of wood were most satisfied just doing their thing as a common but stylish adornment to our house, I likewise can find myself just being 'fine' with where I am at and with what I am doing. Soon, however, the hum of the small motor and the blast of the extended sprayer change everything. Suddenly, satisfaction takes a tremendous turn for the better. Deep-rooted dirt disappears. A shine and a finish never enjoyed before allow new appreciation.

So, what does God use in our lives to power wash us? Let's start with these three for now:
1) His Word - Recently, I have been reading through the book of Judges devotionally. Could be a dangerous thing to do, right? Gloriously dangerous, I can attest! I was struck by the following phrase a few days ago: "They did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways" (Judges 2:19b). The Lord has been cleansing me of practices and stubborn ways that I was quite used to and rather enjoyed, thank you very much. Was I, too, in need of judges to be raised up to confront me as the Israelites were? Was I, too, growing in corruption as I allowed these evil, and sometimes not evil as much as neutral, things to remain in my path? Have I, too, failed to obey God's voice? This one simple phrase has fed my thinking for days on end, and continues to do so. Thank you, Lord, for cleaning us through your Word. Your kindness indeed leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4).
2) His Church - Very little of what we read in scripture is outside of the context of a group. God always had people together (after Adam was provided a helpmate). I fondly remember a former pastor frequently pointing us to one of the many 'one anothers' in scripture. Doing battle with our greatest enemy, our sin, is likewise best fought together. What a gift God has given us in each other in the setting of the local church! Confess your sins one to another. Encourage one another. Clean away, and share the grace of God that He will reign upon you!
3) Yes, that too. God has also rigged life in that we are to spend the majority of our time with other people in very close proximity. But, believer, that spouse of yours and those little blessings of yours are more than you could ever realize. They are tools in the Master Cleanser's hands to dig deep into those spots that merely spraying water or even scrubbing will not suffice. Marriage, parenthood, and close friendships are the power washing that God often uses to do the job. Tough to remember the next time conflict arises, which it will, but true nonetheless. Thank God for these mirrors that allow us to be seen as we are.

One thing that amazed me during this project is the difference that could be seen when I had to pause when I was half done. The distinct difference between the part of the deck that I had cleaned and the remaining portion was unbelievable. I stopped just for a moment to thank God that the same was true of my life. He is cleaning. He is using His word, His church, and those around me to do deep cleaning. It is not always comfortable to have that done. But, oh the difference! The results! Thank you Lord for your deep cleaning!

Growing in 'hipness'

In this day and age, what I am about to share is really no big deal whatsoever. Especially for many of you here in the blogosphere. But for my family and I, technology newbies that we are, tonight is a momentous event. Allow me to briefly paint a picture.

I have worked on a computer with my line of work for all of my nearly fifteen years with my current employer. It started with some 'home-grown' programs pertaining to our line of work and our interaction with our customers. When the information superhighway came along, it took a few years, but I did indeed use that tool for research and quicker communication. And then I also found Excel. Call me Mr. Spreadsheet. But in the midst of all this, two realities were more than evident. First, while I used some of these tools, I did so only to a minimal, 'just-enough' level. I slowly grew in my understanding of different programs and software and even tackled a few larger projects (I served on the Y2K readiness committee...remember those?), but I was never the first guy you would go to in order to solve a computer problem. That is still basically true. Second, all of my budding computer prowess was relegated to work. We just never quite had the budget, knowledge or initiative to apply technology at home. We did purchase a Dell laptop at one point and were so excited about it. After it was outdated within a few months and we were sheepishly acknowledging that we still were using dial up, that thrill quickly wore off. In fact, with as much Excel as I do at work, I had my home budget on a bunch of graph paper until just last August.

But times, they are a-changing! I am sitting here typing an entry into this new blog. If I wanted to include a funny link, I could figure it out (I hope!). We just put the finishing touches on another DVD that we created. We'll send it in tomorrow to a unique web site for their eventual use. (Proof that there is still plenty of room to grow...haven't figured out how to get the file to work via email). I am switching back and forth to our email account to track other projects that I am trying to finalize tonight. But the coolest thing is that my wife is sitting across the room from me listening to an eBay tele-seminar...from the computer. We recently purchased a year of Skype and are using it right now on the computer as I type this. So, while I am using this big glowing thing (actually not so big...flatscreen, baby!) on the desk to do two or three things, my wife is gaining more technological knowledge which can likewise be applied. No wonder my son got out of bed to investigate what in the world was going on out here. He is seeing the transformation of his parents from techno-awkward to better-than-functional.