Life is Dirty
Last week, the dirt began to surface. Have you ever noticed how your beautifully clean yard changes instantly when the snow melts off? Within 24 hours my yard went from pristine to embarrassing. Long lost mittens, once buried plastic bats and forgotten newspapers now litter the muddy yard.
It just goes to show that no matter how hard we try to cover the dirt, it’s bound to resurface eventually. Around the same time that my yard was transforming, the politicians were also coming out of the woodwork. First I received a four page letter filled with slander about so-and-so, who is on the village board. Then, I was stopped on the street with a warning not to believe a word of that letter.
In my little village of less than 300 inhabitants, the dirt began to take over. Apparently, so-and-so handled some money and some village business poorly and though he’s tried to hide it in the records, the dirt’s coming to the surface. Unfortunately, instead of cleaning up the dirt, the people just started picking up clods and throwing them at each other. One male candidate stopped a female candidate in the middle of the road to yell obscenities at her.
It saddens me to see my cozy, old-fashioned, neighborly village so filthy and ugly. What could we have done to prevent this mud slinging?
We all have dirt in our lives. According to the apostle John, if we deny it, we’re lying to ourselves. We can try to hide it but that will only work temporarily. There’s dirt in our churches, in our personal lives, and in our politicians. We need to figure out how to deal with it. Here’s John’s advice:
1 John 1:6-7
If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
People think that sweeping the dirt under the rug will help their problems. But, instead, they find that dirt holds more power over them when it is hidden. When we walk in the light, we are honest about the dirt in our lives. Living in the light doesn’t mean that we are sinless, but that we are truthful and forgiven.
I’d rather walk in the light, living honestly before God, than have my sins brought to light by unfortunate circumstances. I don’t want anyone to be dishing up dirt on me, so I don’t think I’ll be sweeping it under the rug.
Living in the light,
Heather C
How true this is!! I was dusting yesterday-where did it come from? When I find a bitter attitude in my day, it is usually because the dust of my sin is resurfacing and I need to deal with it. This has been a very convicting post for me.
In His Graces~Pamela
inhisgraces.blogspot.com
PS: enter me!
I’ve been reading through Leviticus about the sin offerings. This post just reminded me that the minute that “dirt” comes to the surface in our lives, we need to take it to God and let him clean it up. As you said, we best not be sweeping it under the rug or else someone will just dig it up! Great post!
Amen to that, Heather. You are right if we bring out dirt to light, it is much easier to deal with than if we sweep it under the rug. I don’t mind admitting to my mistakes (anymore). It doesn’t mean that I don’t sin, but it is easier to admit to my sin.
I hope that the campaign in your village doesn’t get too ugly before it is over.
Thank you so much for sharing your heart with us this morning – and welcome to Laced with Grace.
We have often shared with our children that God loves us too much to let our dirt stay hidden. He reveals it.
I will be pulling weeds this weekend, to once again make our home a light in the neighborhood, not a smudge!!
Blessings, Joanne
Heather that was great. I don’t like when the “snow” melts physically or spiritually. It’s never pretty.
Thanks for stopping by my blog, and thanks for sharing your heart.
Have a blessed day!
Amy:)
Beautiful my friend.
The Devil always wants to dig up the dirt in our lives to try and knock us down…telling us God could new truly love anyone like us. But he is wrong God cleans that cluttered up dirt from our lives. Just like we tend to our lawns to prepare them to look their best for spring. God wants us to keep out the dirt and clutter by not returning to the bondage of sin. I love these devotions when The Lord uses them to confirm in my life the things that I have doubt about.
How funny…you posting over here on dirt…the kind that “neighbors” are slinging these days….and mine was all about neighbors…..
we’re on the same page it seems….
You know you can only hide it for so long….eventually it rises to the surface like GOOD CREAM…and no amount of bleach will clean it! A MESS!!
I’m with you…..living honestly….being a good ‘neighbor’…..being a light!!
taking this one with me…
I LOVE the snow analogy!
🙂
hugs,
lori
Living our lives transparently in front of others…that’s what I try to do. But I think, sometimes, we are uncomfortable with honesty…ours and others.
I’d rather live my life out loud, then to have the enemy take a foothold within my secrets. We diffuse the power of sin by our confession…with God and with those who can be trusted with the truth.
I want to live authentically before my Creator and my fellow pilgrims. Hiding the truth only delays the process.
peace~elaine
Thank you for these powerful words regarding our dirt. I really like what you said about sweeping the dirt under, i can certainly identify with that. For many years, instead of owning up to my dirt, I would make excuses, or simply smug it away deep within my heart. From this dirt i found that it would expose itself through guilt and resentment. Just this morning in my CBS study I was reading the same scripture from john. This scripture is mighty rich in its words.
Many blessing to you all,
please enter me in the new contest.
E.G
That is exactly my day! I sometimes feel like the 4-year-old who lied to me today at school. He said something in play that I would have simply corrected and gone on, but he decided he was going to deny it to my face for several minutes. Finally I got the explaination that I knew to be true, and he got a note to mom and dad. If I would just admit to the small things that I sweep under the rug and accept the simple corrections, then the Lord wouldn’t have to discipline me further when He “reads the note.”
Lord, let me be transparent for Your glory and for my benefit. Thank you so much for all the discipline You give me, even when I ignorantly choose beyond the simpe corrections. In Christ’s precious Name. Amen.
(Please Enter me)
Heather,
There is so much truth in that one statement about the stronghold covered dirt has in our lives. Covering it up only eats away and erodes our ability to shine for Him. You are right, there is dirt every where, instead of sweeping it under the rug, it needs to be exposed to the cleansing power that is only found in Him. Great post!
Heather,
Thanks for this reminder to keep myself in His light. I so relate to this. I always love reading your heart and life experiences. And the Word of God.
Much love,
Tiffany
Oh Heather,
Excellent post. I relate to this in so many ways and the comments…. Wow, what great and wise women reders we have. God bless my sister. You ROCK!
This is so true Heather. Sometimes the truth is hard, but it is always best – and so freeing.
It is true the dirt we try to hide, is the dirt that will affect our walk with Christ. He won’t let us get away with one thing because he loves us so much!