Dumpster Diving
Have you ever lost an item of importance and you had to decide to take the plunge into something undesirable in hopes of finding it? I certainly have had my fair share of dumpster diving!
The first experience I can recall, took place in elementary school on an all-school field trip. Only after I had finished and thrown out my bagged lunch, did I realize that my retainer was not in my mouth. I forget who I told, but I remember my extreme embarrassment as my entire class dug through the entire trash can to help me find my expensive mouthpiece. Thankfully, we found it and that experience prevented it from ever happening again!
Last week, I traded in some dumpster diving for new & exciting-- toilet diving! I had my husband's office keys in my back pocket. Of course you can probably guess what happened when I went to use the bathroom! I'm still confused how they fell in at the exact moment the toilet was flushed, but a set of keys sinks like lead. So, I found myself needing to make a split second decision, but the conclusion was easy: the keys were much too valuable to let them plunge to their wet death. So, I found myself up to my elbow in urine-tainted water and my hand deep in the hole of a public toilet! I still shudder at the grossness of it! But, the plunge was successful and my husband's keys are probably the cleanest, most sanitized set of keys out there!
I obviously wouldn't have dug deep into the trash or toilet for something invaluable. It wouldn't have been worth the agony and discomfort. Both those items had value.
Of course these stories came to mind as I recently read from Psalm 40. "He lifted me out of the watery pit, out of the slimy mud. He placed my feet on a rock and gave me secure footing."
I am valuable enough to God, that He reaches down in the watery, slimy mud pit of sin to lift me out. He has chosen to look past the slime and dirt and stinky mess that I make on a daily basis and love me anyway.
I was grossed out by that smelly trash and disgusting toilet. But, God is not grossed out or intimidated by my jealousy-coated skin...or my foul mouth...or my worry-laden mind...or my sin-stained hands...or my stinky, disobedient feet.
Psalm 51:7 says, "Sprinkle me with water and I will be pure; wash me and I will be whiter than snow." God has the ability to take our dirty, stinky selves and cleanse us through the blood of the Lamb. He allowed His Son to suffer and die on a cross in MY place for MY sins. He is my Rock on which I stand. He has redeemed me.
This week, as I've been mulling over the idea of how much God loves me in spite of my mess-ups and shortcomings, I saw a video shared on Facebook that was so powerful. You can watch the video here.
God is in the cleansing business. There is no job too murky. There is no person too disgusting. Let Him in to bring restoration, healing, and redemption.
The first experience I can recall, took place in elementary school on an all-school field trip. Only after I had finished and thrown out my bagged lunch, did I realize that my retainer was not in my mouth. I forget who I told, but I remember my extreme embarrassment as my entire class dug through the entire trash can to help me find my expensive mouthpiece. Thankfully, we found it and that experience prevented it from ever happening again!
Last week, I traded in some dumpster diving for new & exciting-- toilet diving! I had my husband's office keys in my back pocket. Of course you can probably guess what happened when I went to use the bathroom! I'm still confused how they fell in at the exact moment the toilet was flushed, but a set of keys sinks like lead. So, I found myself needing to make a split second decision, but the conclusion was easy: the keys were much too valuable to let them plunge to their wet death. So, I found myself up to my elbow in urine-tainted water and my hand deep in the hole of a public toilet! I still shudder at the grossness of it! But, the plunge was successful and my husband's keys are probably the cleanest, most sanitized set of keys out there!
I obviously wouldn't have dug deep into the trash or toilet for something invaluable. It wouldn't have been worth the agony and discomfort. Both those items had value.
Of course these stories came to mind as I recently read from Psalm 40. "He lifted me out of the watery pit, out of the slimy mud. He placed my feet on a rock and gave me secure footing."
I am valuable enough to God, that He reaches down in the watery, slimy mud pit of sin to lift me out. He has chosen to look past the slime and dirt and stinky mess that I make on a daily basis and love me anyway.
I was grossed out by that smelly trash and disgusting toilet. But, God is not grossed out or intimidated by my jealousy-coated skin...or my foul mouth...or my worry-laden mind...or my sin-stained hands...or my stinky, disobedient feet.
Psalm 51:7 says, "Sprinkle me with water and I will be pure; wash me and I will be whiter than snow." God has the ability to take our dirty, stinky selves and cleanse us through the blood of the Lamb. He allowed His Son to suffer and die on a cross in MY place for MY sins. He is my Rock on which I stand. He has redeemed me.
This week, as I've been mulling over the idea of how much God loves me in spite of my mess-ups and shortcomings, I saw a video shared on Facebook that was so powerful. You can watch the video here.
God is in the cleansing business. There is no job too murky. There is no person too disgusting. Let Him in to bring restoration, healing, and redemption.
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