Shine on...

Have you ever....had a REALLY, REALLY dirty kitchen floor? Okay, I thought I was going to post something really shallow...but read on...God works to reveal his heart in mysterious ways---oooooh.

It crawls on my last nerve to see my floor in the disgusting state I let it deteriorate to around this time each year. I know that all it needs is a good stripping and repolishing, but with about 275 square feet of cheap-o builder grade vinyl flooring, it's not so fun. Of course, the method I have for redoing it I found in a housecleaning book wrote in the '70's--that MIGHT be part of my problem! Anyway, it gets nice and dull and has those nasty little "decorative" pits that collect dirt and food and paint and whatever else two little ones & two not-so-little ones can drag in. Last night we moved everything out of the kitchen/entry/bath/laundry room and I hit the job armed with an arsenal: 2 mops + buckets, 1 gunk bucket, a floor squeegee, a gunk squeegee, a deck scrubber, ammonia and Future floor polish (my fav)! Oh, and I even took "before" pictures, which I would post, but they are still on the camera. By 1:45 a.m. I made it to bed with just a bit more of the polish to put down this morning.

Now my heart just swells to see the shine! When I took the "after" pictures no flash was even necessary because that floor is glowin' man! Today is one of my favorite days of the year, because my floor looks as perfect as a 15 year old floor is going to look...still has some blemishes, but they're all coated with the beautiful gleam of Future. (Yes, that is the shallow part--I really have more to me than a love of a clean floor).
Soooo...what's God got to do with that?

Here's the story of God in my floor:

1. It started out fresh and new 15 years ago. CREATION
2. Use and dirt and grime caused it to fall into disrepair. FALL
3. One who loves (that'd be me) stripped it fresh & sealed it new. REDEMPTION
4. I have pledged to replace it *as soon as I can!!!!!!* with an easy-care tile or slate or SOMETHING PERFECT! RESTORATION

God created this world and us, perfectly. Sin entered the world with the fall of man, and things just aren't as he designed. Christ redeemed us on the cross & is perfecting us for a new life. At his return, all things will be new again!

What really struck me is how much joy God must feel in his heart when he sees us in line with Him through the crystal clear "coating" of Christ--my blemishes are unseen. What a "Future" we have in Him!

Kudos to all my LB family for helping me see things below the everyday! And SHINE ON floors!