Pressure Washing

I spent most of the morning pressure washing our patio. Mildew settles on it when it stays damp and in the shade. It looked pretty nasty. We had noticed it getting worse and worse but had not made it a priority to clean it. Since the weather had cooled off some this morning, we decided it would be a good day to tackle this project.

As I worked diligently to clean it, I noticed how the mildew had settled in all the tiny cracks and crevices. It wasn't a matter of just quickly moving the sprayer back and forth. I had to hold the sprayer close to the concrete and move it slowly back and forth. If you have ever used a pressure washer, you know that it does exactly what the name of it is - it dispenses tremendous pressure so that it will dislodge the slime and the grunge. If you move it quickly, you miss some of the grunge. So you have go slow.

The Lord reminded me as I was cleaning that our lives are like this too. Stuff settles in our mind and heart that can cause us to look, think and act grungy. It is not a pretty picture. He doesn't like what he sees so He has to do some "pressure washing". He convicts our spirit of those things in our life that are dark and slimy. It might be a slow process and it might hurt, but He wants to dislodge our mind and heart of those things that are keeping us from being all that we can be for Him.

This reminded me of a sweet praise song that we use to sing:
"Create in me a clean heart, Oh God
And renew a right spirit within me.
Create in me a clean heart, Oh God
And renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from Thy presence, oh Lord
Take not they Holy Spirit from me
Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation
And renew a right spirit within me."