Laundry Room…

Today I lingered in the laundry room….for much longer than I ever intended. It is not a glamorous space. In fact, quite the opposite. It is too small, hot and crammed full of stuff that we can’t find any other place for in the house. Yet, there I was. Hiding really.

You see the laundry room door closes and has one of the only child protective knobs on it in the house. So, I was safe and alone…for just a few minutes. Unreachable by little hands and clamoring little feet.

I could hear my grandson out there running after our dog, Baby. Screaming (no screeching is a better word) along the way. He is a wild boy mid-mornings, demanding ever bit of his MiMi’s attention and seemingly moments away from the next tantrum. At nearly twenty months, he has mastered the word “no” and has opinions about what he will and will not do. And most of the time what he will do is NOT what he needs to do or even is allowed to do.

So, there I was in the laundry room, wondering  how many times a person can say, “no” in an hour. Or minute for that matter.  And thinking about my poor dog. Baby who undoubtedly wishes she had thumbs and could hideaway in the laundry room too.

Again, God steps in and whispers, “look again child.” You see, it is a perfect illustration of what I do everyday to my Father. Run wild, get into things I shouldn’t, and screech while emphatically proclaiming “no” and exercising my own free will.

Yet, my Father doesn’t require a time out in the laundry room. Nope. He sent His Son, Jesus to stand in the gap for me. Jesus’ blood covers all my running, defiance, testing and offenses. I get to hear a resounding “yes” over and over again. Yes to forgiveness! Yes to grace! Yes to everlasting life! Yes to complete victory!

Thank you God for daily reminders of your goodness. Oh and thank you for my laundry room!

Choose Joy!

Whatever God has promised gets stamped with the Yes of Jesus. In him, this is what we preach and pray, the great Amen, God’s Yes and our Yes together, gloriously evident. God affirms us, making us a sure thing in Christ, putting his Yes within us. By his Spirit he has stamped us with his eternal pledge—a sure beginning of what he is destined to complete.
2 Corinthians 1:20‭-‬22 MSG