Whew! I made it through Day 1 of apartment renovation. They came Tuesday and put in new carpet as well as new floors in both my kitchen and bathroom. When I said they, I really meant he. One gentleman did everything and was finished in just under four hours! All I had to do, along with the help of Mac, one of our WCS students, was move the furniture around and stay out of his way. Day 2 comes tomorrow when the complex takes out the old dish washer, stove/hood, and refrigerator and leaves brand spanking new ones! Concurrently, they will install new fixtures in both bathroom and kitchen sinks. Then, I can relax!
I've been getting ready for this upgrade since March 20th when I signed the agreement along with my new lease. There is no telling how many hours I spent organizing and discarding stuff, particularly in my closet. But I've noticed something interesting in the last few days. I've found myself cleaning the carpet and flooring, even though I knew they were about to be pulled up and thrown in the trash. I've done the same for the refrigerator and the stove even though the office personnel told me not to worry about it. (I've mentioned before that when I stay in hotels/motels, I clean up before leaving so the housekeepers won't be mad at me!) If I was this conscientious all the time, the last two months would have been a breeze! But by myself, I'm comfortable with a certain degree of messiness.
I'm not sure why I feel the compulsion to clean before the cleaning. I do the same when the apartment comes in for the annual smoke detector check or to spray for bugs or to test the air conditioning sustem. There is a sense of shame associated with letting others see you at less than your stainless best and with me, that applies to my living arrangements as well. What might our maintenance crew think if they came to work on a slightly messy unit? I think that's what the feelings of guilt and shame do to us as we deal with our past. C.S. Lewis worded it like this in The Problem Of Pain:
“We have a strange illusion that mere time cancels sin. I
have heard others, and I have heard myself, recounting cruelties and falsehoods
committed in boyhood as if they were no concern of the present speaker’s, and
even with laughter. But mere time does nothing either to the fact or to the
guilt of a sin. The guilt is washed out not by time but by repentance and the
blood of Christ: if we have repented these early sins we should remember the
price of our forgiveness and be humble.”
We have to rejoice we are clean while with the deepest gratitude thanking our Savior for His cleansing blood! I know I'll sin again, just like I know I'll walk in with muddy feet or spill my coffee. Our preacher, David Yasko, often remarks about those who put off becoming a Christian because they think they aren't good enough, "You can't clean a fish until you catch it." Amen! I just have to figure out how to keep my abode a little more livable!
Applicable quote of the day:
"You don't get anything clean without getting something else dirty."
Cecil Baxter
God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
www.hawleybooks.com
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com
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