Monday, July 21, 2008
- Gloria Ruppel
Last Saturday I reached under my kitchen sink for the kitchen cleanser and discovered a leak. I rarely venture under there because it's kind of a scary place--dark, rather damp, and full of cleaning supplies. It's also where I have our trash container which usually gets emptied daily...but not always. Even though we don't have bugs, I'm not always confident that there won't be an unpleasant surprise growing or hatching there. I could clean under there everytime I mop the kitchen floor, but like I said, it's a scary place.
It made me think of places in our lives that we store stuff we don't want out in the open. Somehow it seems like the "out of sight, out of mind" approach to painful or shameful memories should work, except you know deep down that there will come a time when you'll be faced with dealing with the ugly unpleasant part of your life. Maybe you were at the receiving end of abuse or rejection, or your behavior damaged relationships. And then you tried to ignore it, stuffing under the sink while life continued on. But it's still down there.
I knew I couldn't ignore the leak under the sink. Knowing that I was going to have to put my entire upper body under there to replace the existing faucet was enough to make sure I got all the hidden items out in the open, praying that I would be strong enough to face whatever was waiting for me. Armed with a flashlight and Lysol, I did a thorough job in getting everything out and then wiping down the interior of the cabinet. Nasty, time-consuming work, but entirely worth it. Now, we not only are sporting a new faucet, but a clean sink cabinet.
What's holding you back from cleaning out your scary places? You don't have to go it alone. Be assured that God knows what's hiding under there and has promised to be with you. "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9)