One of my favorite things is to go to brunch after church on Sunday. A few weeks ago, we had an unusual summer day. It was warm but not hot and sunny with a slight breeze. My husband and I took the opportunity to sit outside the restaurant to enjoy brunch. It was a lovely time with good conversation and delicious food. As we ate, a slight breeze blew through the patio tables. One umbrella was at a perfect angle to catch the gentle wind, and the table toppled over. Apparently, it had been a busy morning at the restaurant, and no one had cleaned off the table before this incident.
The crash made a loud noise and a terrible mess. The table crashed to the ground, and the dishes scattered and broke on the patio. Someone came out to clean up the broken dishes and everything else on the table.
I have thought about that mess over the weeks. I realized this is how life is sometimes. The table represents my life which can topple by the breezes that come through as I live. I cannot get so busy with life or things I want to do that I do not clean up as I go. Ignoring disorder and clutter will only lead to noise and destruction.
What am I leaving on the table in my day-to-day life? Am I living with emotions and characteristics such as unkindness in my heart, anger, doubt, fear, anxiety, pride, wallowing in procrastination, or pettiness? If I do not deal with these emotions and clean up my heart, I will inevitably topple over when the breeze of adversity blows through my life. If the restaurant staff had been proactive and promptly cleaned up the dishes on the table, there would not have been such a mess to clean up when the table fell over. What could have been a couple-minute job became more involved and took longer to accomplish. The manager came out to the patio to help the staff member, and he kept apologizing to the diners. I realized this situation could have been avoided if someone had taken care of the dishes earlier.
In the same way, if I take a few minutes to “clean up” my heart, I can avoid a lot of heartache and destruction. When or if I topple over, the hope is that I will not cause a significant mess causing the need for me to apologize to the people around me. One way of cleaning up my heart and life would be to pray Psalm 139: 23-24 “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting”.
Interestingly, the waitress told us the same thing happened earlier, except that the table had been empty. In that instance, it was just a matter of picking the table up and putting it back in place. The staff did not learn the precarious nature of the table with the umbrella up and make any changes. Consequently, the table fell again, but with a much different result. Do I experience warning signs that I also ignore and keep going about my life? Suppose I open my eyes and heart to the Holy Spirit’s warning and attempt to get me on the right path. In that case, I may be able to save myself from heartache and destruction. Mercifully all will not be lost if I do suffer a tumble and return to God for help. The Bible promises that God will restore what the locusts have devoured. He will not only restore life, but it will be a significant restoration (Joel 2:25-26).
As I was thinking about this post, I read the following in an Our Daily Bread entry by Katara Patton. “James’ realization was smart. It’s a reflection of what the writer of Hebrews is saying too. As we continue our journey in life, we need to “throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles (Hebrews 12:1). We need to travel light and press on. Without Jesus’ help, we can’t travel light and run this race well. May we look to the “pioneer and perfector of faith” so that we won’t “grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:2-3)
Jesus knows what will happen to us if we are not faithful to come to him and throw off everything that hinders the life initially planned for us. He also knows we can become weary and weighed down by this life and our experiences while living in this sin-scared world. Matthew 11:28-30 speaks to this truth: “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
It is of great comfort to me that I don’t need to “clean up” myself before I go to God. He sees me in all my sins, loves me, and wants a relationship with me. I need to clean up my heart not to have a relationship with God but to have a deeper communion with Him and live the life He planned for me. I must repent and ask for forgiveness. 1 John states, “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. ” The “cleanup” is not for God but for me so that I may participate in the joy and abundant life God wants me to experience. Also, so that my life may be a living testimony of the love and power of God. He loves me unconditionally and can change me, so I don’t have to live under the weight of my sin. I can live as Isaiah 40:31 states, “but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint”.
Living with the weight of sins and wounds will eventually crush me and cause a mess and destruction. I want to remember to quickly go to Jesus with all my cares, concerns, and brokenness. Remembering that He cares for me, and if I try to live in the darkness of my “dirt,” it may just take on a life of its own. If not dealt with by prayer and confession to the God who loves me, this will keep me from sweet communion and fellowship with the God of the universe, who calls me his daughter.
I pray that I am aware of and clean up any mess before someone must come in and help me; before it becomes a much bigger mess and takes much longer to remedy.
Peace in the Desert 