Septic Tank Thoughts

As school is looming over me this week, I am on a mad mission . . . cleaning closets, reorganizing clothes, the usual stuff that makes me feel less stressed. In the midst of this, I am dealing with some junk. Anybody out there dealing with junk, too? I suspect you are; if you want a companion and some timely advice, read on, my friend.

As I have been cleaning my house and my closets today, I have also been having a dialogue with God. You see, I am struggling with decisions and desiring to hear His voice, but I also have allowed garbage to get in the way of my hearing His voice clearly. And in the middle of this summer cleaning day, the phone rang . . . Septic Tank Service, just checking on us. Seriously? Who calls to check on the state of my filth? Well, duh . . . God does. The call made me chuckle, and it made me think about what God is trying to say to me today. I think He's saying that it's time to clean out the septic tank of my life . . . the garbage that needs to be carried away to places, never to be seen again . . . the "crap" (excuse the pun) that is stinking up my life and my mind. I've been so clouded by the stench that hearing His voice has been a serious problem. Can't concentrate on Him for the odor that's chocking my nostrils. Anybody living where I'm living? I think so. So what do we do?

I know what I am going to do. As sure as I am giving away some clothes that I no longer need, I am going to give God the smelly stuff in my life. I want Him to take the self-condemnation and doubt. I want Him to heal the hurt I've felt lately because of people whose approval shouldn't mean a hill of beans, and so I'm going to ask Him to make me more confident in His love. I am going to give Him my service and my gifts; He gave them to me, and He is waiting patiently for me to give them back to Him. And finally, I am going to give Him my obedience and my time because the truth is this: He is waiting on me to be obedient with what He last told me before He is going to bless me with anything else. And He is not going to give me more things to do with my 24-hour day until I learn how to use the minutes He has already allowed in a more sacrificial way. So Facebook friends? I might not be there so much for a while. You just might have to pick up the phone and call, and I will answer you as surely as I am going to answer God's call on my life.

Phillips, Craig, and Dean sing a beautiful ballad that says: "Your grace still amazes me." And doesn't it? Let me clear out the stench of my self-absorption and doubt and be reminded that I can still stand in wonder at God's amazing grace.

If you are stinking up your place, please join me in cleaning out for God. I know you won't regret it, and your life will take on an aroma that is pleasing to your heavenly Father!