A long shower won't fix this

There is this person I know that takes long showers.  And unfortunately this person is teaching the offspring to 'enjoy' the same.  For some reason, I can not wrap my head around a long shower.

My question: Is a shower's function to get clean or to relax? or both? For me, it serves one purpose.  To do what I need to do to get clean and get out.  My relaxation time occurs when I am sitting or laying down. Not standing up.  More like this...

Ahhhh.  Doesn't this just make you feel like exhaling. Sitting. Coffee. In a clean room. And skinny enough to sit like this.... You get the idea.

So, one day I decided I was going to take a long shower.  I figured I would do the same ol' same ol' but try to take my time and relax.  Well, I got clean and then just stood there wondering what else can I do? I mean I've washed my 4000 parts.

Well maybe not all 4000 parts. I mean what are these 4000 parts?  Is there a list somewhere because maybe that is what I'm missing.

So anyway, I decided to check all the quantities of regularly used products to see if any needed to go on the shopping list.  A person in my house has very little hair on their head.  And yet, I've heard things like "I'm out of shampoo" coming from this person.  What?  You really just need face soap since your face goes over your head.  (Is that too harsh?)  Just speaking truth (and trying to save money) in love, right?  So that took about 30 seconds.

Now what? I saw this face soap I bought awhile ago and use about once a week.  I started thinking about its name/label/claim.

These words "deep clean" and "gentle scrub" made me think about what 'clean' really means.
Without blemish.  Free from marks or stains. Pure. This took another minute of my shower time.

At this point, I was ready to get out of the shower...I was starting to prune up. I think I was in there about 7 minutes...still 1/2 the time of the previously mentioned individual.  I tried.

Long showers are not for me.  But thinking about this 'clean' idea was for me.

So I went straight to my Bible to look up a scripture that came to mind.  Well not straight there but..well there is a story here.

Tis the season (in Virginia) to have the windows open.  Well, this particular day, my loving husband open all the bedroom windows, blinds and all.  So as I came out of the bathroom, pruned and all, lo and behold all the windows were wide open for all to see.

I'm sorry Mr. Garbage man.  And I'm sorry Mr. Postman.  You can just leave your counseling receipt in my mail box. I will try to reimburse you for your trauma.  Ya think a batch of cookies would help erase that vision?

So after that fun/traumatic experience, I was on a mission to find my verse...Psalm 51

In this verse, God is calling His people to cleanse themselves from sin and be ready to serve the Lord.  Its says: "Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow."

David wrote this Psalm after he repented from his sins...affair with Bathsheba and killing her husband. CRAZY...I don't even watch that kinda stuff on TV and here were are in the Bible talking about "revenge"! 

So he was seeking to the most purest sense of "clean" from God.   

I came out of the shower thinking I was clean and in some ways, I think that is how we deal with our sin.  Just a quick, "sorry God, forgive me God".  But instead He wants a more Deep. Clean. Gentle. Scrub. from us. 

David goes on to reveal is distress to God, he says "hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity."  He felt so much disgrace from what He had done.  He was begging God to not even acknowledge it.  

Have you ever had a day that looked like this?

A long shower would not fix this... 

I'm guessing this is what David wanted to do.  Don't look God.  Turn the other way God. Let me try to hide from you God. 

He was BROKEN. Guilty. CONVICTED.  The Holy Spirit met his heart and decided this was not good. 

John Piper says in one of his books that 'conviction is useless unless our conduct is changed."  What a important truth.    

So when I think about getting 'clean' in a Christian - everyday- I mess up - kinda way, I have to wonder how often am I really broken by my sin?  Changed from conviction?   

And what I need is a deep. clean. gentle. scrub. from God. for all my 4000 parts.

Still I will worship...

This is my little guy in the picture.  I wish I could blow this picture up and make it into wallpaper for the whole house and every house on the street.  Or maybe even make it into thousands of pieces of candy and eat it up. I love it that much.

I know what you are thinking...oh here she goes about her little guy and how awesome and worshipful he is.  Nope...he's four.  He stood like this for a 1/37th of a second as he told me how much he loved me.  Don't worry this post isn't about how much he loves me either.

Its about God.

Have you ever felt like this picture?  So tiny compared to all....  Or so giant in freedom?
Or maybe you have never felt like raising your hands to or for anyone or anything.

There is a new song by Shane & Shane that I am constantly singing to myself.  The first part says...
I come, God, I come
I return to the Lord
The one who's broken
The one who's torn me apart
You struck down to bind me up
You say You do it all in love
That I might know You in Your suffering

Now look at this picture again.  Think about those words in this posture.  I'm in awe.  It really does position my perspective, problems, joys, anxiety, to do list and everything differently.

Then the chorus says:
Though You slay me
Yet I will praise You
Though You take from me
I will bless Your name
Though You ruin me
Still I will worship
Sing a song to the one who's all I need

Now look at this picture again. I know what you are thinking.  If I were saying those words...slay me. take from me. ruin me.  Would I be in this posture? 

The only way I believe you can get from slayed, taken from and ruined to a position of worship is the acceptance that He is enough.  He is worth praising through all this that seems like the end of life.  But in reality, He is not surprised. He is not anxious for you.  He loves you and preparing you to realize that He is enough. 

Look at this picture again. Its a posture of praise to the One who is worthy to be praise, blessed and worshiped no matter what YOUR circumstances. He is in your circumstance. 

But lets step back.  The One we speak of was in a some crazy circumstances too.  He was betrayed. Have you ever been betrayed?  He was beaten and nailed to a cross.   He was slayed. He was ruin. He was taken from.  

For what?  What is so bad that all that had to happen?

You and Me. For our mistakes. For our selfishness. For our thoughts. For our actions.  For our sin.

Look at the picture again.  

What other posture towards God should we have but this one?