Monday, December 30, 2013


I Am A Trash Can!  What?

This past week while shopping, I took a detour through a local fast food restaurant for a drink of Sweet Tea.  As I was waiting in the drive through line, I caught myself watching a young man with a bucket of soapy water walk up to a trash can and begin scrubbing it.  He was full of purpose as he scrubbed the grime from the top of the lid.  I was amused at how hard he was scrubbing and thinking to myself, “no matter how much you scrub dude, as long as there is trash in that can, it will not be clean”.  

The Holy Spirit began to remind me how much we are like that trash can.  Yes, the trash can!  I searched scripture and found Jesus speaking to the religious leaders one day at lunch and said, “You Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and wickedness!“  Of course, there it is.  Are we quick to clean the outside to look presentable and wear the face of a Christian, yet our insides are full of filth?  I still wasn’t sure I understood how we are like the trash can.  Oh my lesson was just beginning.  

As I continued to ponder my drive-thru experience, the Holy Spirit was sifting me like wheat.  I get it Lord, it’s about the heart right?  We dress up and look pretty but there is something in our hearts that need work.  We need to read our bibles more, we need to pray, we need to minister to others, we need to provide for the poor, we need to....... Yet, the answer came ever so sweetly through my husband on our way to church Sunday morning.  As I was sharing my thoughts, he simply said, “when they open up my lid, I want people to see THE CROSS”.  There it is! I am like the trash can!  I can clean up the outside and make it shiny and new, but my savior is the only one that can take my trash and and cover it with his cross.  My heart can sing and soar when I surrender it all to Jesus.  What’s that smell?  That is the sweet fragrance of my Savior.  

Thank you Jesus for the Cross.  Thank you that no matter how bad my trash (past) is, your death has made a way for me to stand “clean” before my Heavenly Father.  He will not see my wrong, He will only see “Your Blood”.  When God opens my lid, I want him to only see “The Cross”.  Amen


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