Cleaning the Stove

This morning I cleaned my stove. You
know, took out the burners and the drip pans and cleaned all the accumulated
gunk. Most of it wiped up easily, but a few spots took a little elbow grease
and some steel wool pads. Before long, the stove looked shiny and (nearly) new.As I worked, my mind meandered, as it
tends to do. I thought about all those meals I’d cooked on this stove. Would
you believe it? Twenty-nine years’ worth of meals. That’s a lot of years and a
lot of meals. Any botched meals were the fault of the cook, not the stove. It
endured boil-overs, splatters, occasional burned food, and spills on the
burners.As my mind wandered, I couldn’t help
but compare myself to that stove. Twenty-nine is pretty ancient for a stove.
Now I don’t consider myself ancient, but I am retired, and I am on Medicare.
Even though I don’t like the title, I am officially classified as elderly.In all my years, I’ve botched many
things, said or done the wrong thing to the wrong person. I have boiled over in
anger, regretting words that came out of my mouth. Over the years, there have
been countless occasions where I’ve just made a mess of things. I haven’t always
followed God’s recipe for my life. I’ve been spiritually careless and taken
things and people for granted.I am so grateful that God is always
willing to clean up my messes. No matter what I have said or done, or how often
I have ignored his suggestions, He is willing to forgive. Even when I make a
huge mess, He helps me clean it up, He forgives and offers me grace. He opens
my eyes to truth and wisdom in His word, and He shows me a better way. Are you
ready to ask Him to help you clean up your messes and offer you grace?

Father, thank you for cleaning up my messes. Thank you for sending your son to offer grace
to all of us that we may be sparkling clean in your sight.