OK. I’m just going to blurt it out, my dirty little secret:
I hate cleaning my shower!
The walls are 12×12 tile which means sandy grout lines that quickly turn orange, the white caulking that seals the bottom and the clear caulking that seals the glass has mold in areas I cannot get to even with bleach, and the water spots are impossible to keep off the glass. Now you know.

When company comes, naturally the guest rooms and bathrooms get a thorough cleaning. Not mine, especially if there is a time crunch. My space is a low priority since it is the master. For me, I can deal with it being less than perfect, and no one else but my husband or son will see it. Will guests use my bathroom? No. In contrast, when I was growing up, my parents gave up their bedroom and bathroom for my grandparents to sleep in and use. Granted we didn’t have spare bedrooms back then, but to me, I learned this was the right thing to do and selfless. I wonder if this happens in households any more?

Today was the big day. That shower couldn’t stay this way any longer, and I knew my husband would comment if it did (and rightly so). As I am scrubbing the glass door in those hard-to-reach crevices, a thought occurred to me:
if Jesus came to my home and wanted to use MY master bath shower, what would I do?

I would probably tell him that the guest shower is ready to go! But what if he looked intently into my eyes, and insisted on using mine? Would I quickly put up a family photo, turn down the lights and light a candle, and put music on for Jesus to enjoy?
OR, would I quickly grab the cleaning supplies and get it completely sparkling clean so that He wouldn’t have to bathe in my dirty shower? Do you see the difference? One action just masks and covers up the problem, the other action dives in and disinfects, preparing it for Him by getting it spotless and sanitized. The truth is, this private part of my home should have been ready to be accessed at a moment’s notice.

“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.”
Isaiah 1:18

Are we hesitating or procrastinating about something in our lives, something that is in a private place of our heart or mind, because we aren’t ready nor want to disinfect that dirty part of our personal life? That room where we keep the door closed and don’t invite people into because of shame, guilt or fear of their reaction, is it time to open the blinds and grab the cleaning supplies? Even if you decide to leave that door closed off, Jesus already knows about your dirty little secret, and the truth is, He wants to work WITH you in getting that area of your life clean.

“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 cleanses us from all sin.”
1 John 1:7

If there is an area of your life that needs some deep cleaning, Jesus is the best solution who can help you.
Pray this, with sincerity and hope:
“Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!”
Psalm 51:2

Knowing that our spaces can become dirty quickly, devote some time each day to keeping your ‘house’ clean. You never know who may come knocking at your door, or when!

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”
Psalm 51:10

Food for thought: Now you might be afraid to come visit and stay at my house since the divulging of my secret, but truthfully this house gets thoroughly cleaned when company comes! So, please give me a good excuse to clean even more and visit us in Cumming, GA.

Fun facts: Did you know: you can clean your shower curtain in the washing machine; cleaning for 2 hours burns about 200 calories; a dry shower is a cleaner one so squeegee after each shower; running your bathroom fan for 30 minutes after a shower helps reduce the amount of moisture in the air which helps eliminate mold and mildew.

Photo by: Curology (via Unsplash) – Glass Shower with Plants
( I wish this was my shower!)