What You Don't See

As I am going through the last moving bit, mainly cleaning and tossing, I marvel at the level of dirt that lies underneath and behind almost everything in the apartment. I hardly consider myself Martha Stewart by any stretch of the imagination - neither do I consider myself a slovenly wretch who wouldn't know a broom handle from a scrub brush. Yet, under ever piece of furniture, behind every picture frame, I continue to battle layers of dust and grime that I was previously (and happily) oblivious to.

And, isn't that always how it is? Unless you're up for moving all the furniture to the center of the room in order to bust those dust bunnies quarterly, this is what you wind up with when moving day arrives. Ironically, I had previously been patting myself on the back for "cleaning as I go along" - wiping down baseboards, window sills, door jambs, etc. Well, I'm here to testify, that is not where the real dirt lurks. No, it's under the couch, at the back of the pantry cupboard shelf, under the dryer.

The contemplative part of my brain wants to draw a spiritual parallel to this.

Psalm 66:18-20 New King James Version
 If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear.
 But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer.
 Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer, Nor His mercy from me!

Thankfully, we don't have to wait each year for the Day of Atonement to be forgiven of our sins, but daily as we become aware of our shortcomings, we confess and He forgives.

1 John 1:9 New King James Version
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

If only house cleaning was as easy.