Fed Up

Have you ever been sick and tired of being sick and tired? You get so tired of something or someone that you take IMMEDIATE action? Yesterday, my oldest son wanted to sweep up a mess he made at dinner. Excited for him to be cleanly and independent (which as any mother knows can be questionable with any child on any given day, no matter their age), I handed him the broom and dustpan. When he was done, I looked at our hardwood floors with utter disgust. It had been nearly two  months since I gave them a thorough cleaning and a shine job. Why? The short answer: Life. Right then and there, as I scoured the floor's various sticky black marks, jelly stains, and other weird substances, I loaded the cleaning solution, warm water, sponge and cleaning rag into the sink. I didn't even have time to find the bucket! It had to happen right then and there. I couldn't take it any more!

Now this job has been avoided for a while because it requires a few things. First, I need complete seclusion from my family. They can't be walking in and out of the house while I'm cleaning the floors, and if they try to even think about setting foot on one of those floors after I've shined them, there is most often hell to pay (pray for me lol). Secondly, I must have the right tools and solutions. If I don't have the right floor cleaner, my floors look clean, yet dull; and after all that work, a dull floor is enough to make me curse. The first phase of this process also requires that I get on my hands and knees to really get the floor clean. I can see the sticky spots up close and get the tough parts of the floor that are tucked behind stationary furniture much more easily. But the truth is that this part hurts. My knees don't like that hard surface, but it's necessary to get the job done. Then, I have to wait a while for the first phase to dry. Once that's happened, the floors are ready to be shined! This is my favorite part because it is the easiest and the most noticeable! I stand up, take a dry mop and some Mop N Glo (BTW: great stuff), and get to work! When I'm done, the floors almost look brand new! It's awesome!

Okay, so what's this have to do with anything? Look at the analogy! What if we got sick and tired of our issues and problems and just took the IMMEDIATE action to give them to God? What if we didn't care if everything was perfect like timing, location, or even mental or spiritual state? What if we simply couldn't take it any more and handled it right then and there? If we did that, it might look something like this...

We separate ourselves from all distractions because we need total seclusion so that we can be alone with our God. We make sure to have the Word nearby just in case we need it because that is a source of solution for so many of our problems! We get on our knees and examine ourselves and our situations clearly. Revealing to God those sticky parts and allowing Him to pull out of us those things that lie hidden and tucked behind our smiles and facades of everything being okay when in reality, it's a chaotic mess! We allow ourselves to feel and deal with the pain and hurt that might pour out. We do this for as long as it takes to "come clean" and then we wait. We wait for ourselves to "dry" by waiting on God to answer us, to reveal to us His plan for our lives. And because we know that the plans He has for us are prosperous plans, then we can count it all joy that the next phase is to shine! We stand up and we shine through Him as living testimonies of all that God has brought us through. This part is the easiest because we are basking in our blessings and celebrating what God has done. It wasn't an easy journey to get here, but it was all necessary because it all worked together! That is the part that is often most noticeable to those around us who need encouragement or are in the same place we were just brought out of. Wouldn't that be awesome? Be blessed. XOXO