“Woe to you...You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence. Cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean."
Matthew 23:25-26
Yesterday was a Silent Sunday and I had a fabulous day, reading, sitting outside, praying...cleaning the tea pot. Cleaning the tea pot? What's holy about that? Well, as it turned out, it was a very holy exercise. (Stay with me here!) I was shocked when I noticed how covered with hard water deposits the bottom of the tea pot was. How had this happened? I used it all the time and didn't ever notice? What can I possibly do to get it clean again? The deposits are hard as rocks! To make a long story short, it took three things: the first being time. I put vinegar in the bottom and let it soak all day. The second was a cleaning agent--vinegar in this case. The third thing was a bit of scrubbing after the long soak. What did it teach me about growing closer to God? Well, my difficulties with others, sins, if you prefer to call them that, are like the hard water deposits. I may not even notice them until after they are ingrained in me, and by then, they are harder to remove. There aren't going to go away instantly, much as I'd like that to happen. But over time, with awareness, God's grace, prayer, and a bit of scrubbing, I will change. Loving others is the best way to show my love for God. Today I feel a bit shiner, just like my tea pot, and I'm ready to love better! Love, heidi
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