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| Living Among the Filth |
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I used to be a Brownie when I was a little girl…I later moved on to be a Girl Scout, but I never, ever forgot an experience that I had as a Brownie.
Each time we had a meeting, we would meet at someone’s house. I remember one house in particular, I don’t remember the mother or the girl who lived in this house, but I remember the house. It was filthy! I have never before or since seen anything that even comes close to what this house looked like. I know I have a child’s memory from a long time ago, but I don’t think I am too far off. It made an impression in my small mind that I have never forgotten.
I remember as we walked into the house, seeing trash laying on the floor. And I do mean literally, trash. Not just toys, and clutter, but trash. As if, whenever something needed to be thrown out, they just dropped it right there on the floor. I remember the kitchen sink was filthy, piled with dirty dishes…the bathroom was awful…I didn’t even want to use it when I saw it. I don’t ever remember going back to that house, and I would hope that the Brownie troop leaders made a common sense decision not to return.
Nothing short of bulldozing the house would have helped. Bulldozing and starting over from scratch. I have no doubt that rodents took up residence there as well.
For some reason I was thinking about that house this morning. Who knows what sets memories off in our minds, but sometimes something comes back to you from the past, completely out of the blue. Then I got to thinking how I can apply this to a life of a non-Christian. When people don’t have Christ in their lives, they are like this house. Filthy. We have trash of all kinds laying around in our hearts and minds. Nothing can help, short of a bulldozer, to make us clean. Jesus is the bulldozer. He comes into our hearts and minds and gets rid of all the filth and trash and rubbish, sweeps the floors of our hearts and minds clean. He starts building a new creation, and takes up residence there to make sure that it stays clean. But we first have to invite Him in. He won’t come if He isn’t invited. Just like that house would never have been clean unless someone took the time to clean it. Have you invited Jesus in to clean away the filth? |
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Donna S |
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January 14, 2008 at 10:11am |
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awesome post!!!!!
As I was reading that is what i was thinking... "gets rid of all the filth and trash and rubbish, sweeps the floors of our hearts and minds clean"
then saw ur wrote about it.
I am sending this to my son, and a few others
Will give a link to this post!!!
thank you!!!!
Have a Blessed day |
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Eliza |
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January 14, 2008 at 10:36am |
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| I am inviting him in right now....love this post.... |
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| Bulldoze me Jesus, bulldoze me !!!!! |
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Deb |
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January 14, 2008 at 2:05pm |
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Donna, I sure do hope that this helps your son. I am praying for you. I have a list I keep by my computer to make sure that I pray for all those that need prayer. Blessings to you.
Eliza, I am glad you enjoyed the post.
Paul, Amen!
Doyle, thank you! |
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Deb |
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January 14, 2008 at 2:56pm |
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| restore, thank you so much! |
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| Wonderful analogy! I really enjoyed this post! |
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Excellent comparison! Yep, sometimes it takes a bulldozer!
Another, great blog, Deb! |
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| I like the picture you described Deb. Reminds me of Jesus' use of parables! |
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| Awesome parallel and word picture....and you also made me feel better, because my house isn't that bad! But really, that's sad. I have been in houses like that. As slobbish as I am, I couldn't do it....and I need to have some early spring cleaning, without and within. Great blog. |
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Deb |
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January 15, 2008 at 1:48pm |
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Coreena, thank you, and I am glad that you enjoyed it!
Yahschild, thank you!
Mike, thank you as well. I woke up with this on my mind and knew it came from God. I couldn't come up with this stuff on my own!
Lara, I am not the best house keeper in the world either, but at least I don't live like this family did. I think we all need to do spring cleaning on the inside and the out, every year! Or even more often than that!
thenuthouse, thank you!
Rachel, thank you, glad you enjoyed it. |
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Deb |
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January 16, 2008 at 2:12pm |
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| Worshipper, I can honestly say that God has beeen bringing a lot of things back that I can now apply to my life. But then, that is just a "God-thing!" |
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That house didn't happen to be in Troy-lee trailer park did it? Although I caint remember ever having no brownie meeting at my place, sure sounds like it! |
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Deb |
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January 16, 2008 at 2:36pm |
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| Rich, no, it wasn't a trailer park...so I don't guess it was your house. I guess there could be more than one of these messy people around! lolol |
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| Well it aint near as messy since I talked the trash man into coming by the house again every week! He got mad about me wanting to "sift" through the back of the truck. |
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Deb |
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January 16, 2008 at 3:03pm |
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| Rich, you can find a lot of treasures in the back of a garbage truck! One man's junk is another man's treasure! |
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Cheryl |
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January 16, 2008 at 3:34pm |
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i too was thinking about Jesus' parables and how when you tell a story it drives the point home....hopefully to a clean home in Him!!! Great post~thanks~
Love~ |
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| You know the part I like best? Where you say He takes up residence while the new one is being built. Most of us wait until the new place is built before we move in, but not Him. Nope. He moves right in before it is all nice and cozy - just to make sure it is done perfectly. Selah!! |
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| Well said. Not only a pitiful situation in which to live, but an apt metaphor for sin. |
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Deb |
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January 17, 2008 at 9:16am |
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Cheryl, I think using lessons that we have been through in the past is a great way to get the point across. Isn't it easy to listen to someone that applies a principle to a practical life application? You remember the story and you learn from it.
DC, Jesus isn't afraid of a little filth, and I am grateful for that!
goodnewspraiseband, yes, I agree. Sin is nothing if not filthy. |
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Jen |
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January 17, 2008 at 5:40pm |
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| Good one, Deb! I'm spring cleaning my house next week, even if it is January! The internal cleaning is an on-going process - praise God for His cleansing abilities! - or the accumulation of rubbish would be daunting, indeed. :-) |
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Deb |
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January 18, 2008 at 2:22pm |
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| Jen, you are so right! It is funny how rubbish accumulates in our homes as well as our bodies and minds. |
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| Deb,I love your blog.You are so descriptive with word pictures.Trash in,trash out.I'm so glad that Christ is willing to come into our filthy heart house & take out the trash.I need to watch what trash I take in and dwell on. |
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Deb |
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January 19, 2008 at 3:58pm |
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| racunpoodle, thank you for such a nice compliment! I think word pictures are the best way to grab a hold of a message and remember it. |
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| Deb,have thought a lot about your blog since I read it.Maybe cause I need to do some cleaning house with an attitude I've been wrestling with. |
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Deb |
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January 20, 2008 at 1:54pm |
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| racunpoodle, just like our houses need to be cleaned often, so do our souls and minds. So much junk gets stuck in our heads...we just need to take time to get things in order. God help you to clean your "house'. |
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| Hiya Deb; Wow yeah, that about says it all eh. Thank God for Jesus who comes into our house and dines with us, and that he leaves the place cleaner than the way he found it! It is so sad though that even if you had offered to clean their house for them, they would have looked at you like you were on glue not even realizing that there was anything wrong with their house. Hope you keep this family you do not remember in your prayers. Lord willing they will invite Him in for a little bulldozing party. Love in Christ, your sister, Deb |
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Deb |
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January 20, 2008 at 2:50pm |
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| Debra Lynn, thank you for your comments. I just took a look at your profile, and see that you must be fairly new to MyChurch, so let me welcome you! I was thinking on your comments, and thought, we clean our houses every week (or at least I do), but I usually only just hit the high spots. My mom used to say she was giving it a l"ick and a promise." The promise being that you will clean it more thoroughly later. We do that with our spiritual lives too. We give them just enough to get by, and only that major cleaning once in a great while...usually when it is too late. |
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| Deb, thanks for reminding me to take a spiritual bath! |
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Deb |
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January 25, 2008 at 12:22pm |
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| Pastor Tim, just trying to do my part in keeping my fellow Christians clean :) |
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