Squeaky clean

My Sunday afternoons are usually dedicated to my grandma. I set aside this time every week specifically for her. Since I had spent the beginning of the week with her before going to New Jersey, I was going to come back to Morgantown and take advantage of a lazy Sunday afternoon by watching movies, downloading new music, and addressing my Christmas cards. But before I got on the interstate, I called her to make sure she didn’t need anything. And it’s a good thing I did. She needed yellow cheese. To most, yellow cheese is known as American cheese. My grandma likes to add 3-4 slices of cheese to her boxed macaroni and cheese and was apparently out.  She also needed the batteries in her smoke alarm changed and her trash taken out.  I didn’t stop to get yellow cheese on my way to her house because I knew she would have just enough time to think of ten more things she needed before I arrived. After visiting with her for awhile and fixing her smoke alarm and taking out her trash; I asked her if there was anything she needed from the store. She rattled off a few random items and then said, “laundry detergent. I need more laundry detergent.” There was no way she needed laundry detergent. I just bought her a large container of laundry detergent on Saturday. After a few moments of arguing (we never truly argue) and pure disbelief on my behalf; I went to the laundry room to assess the situation for myself. And sure enough in 6 days my grandma had emptied the half full bottle that occupied the stand by the washer on Saturday and was well on her way to emptying the bottle I had just bought her. Completely shocked, I asked her if she was drinking detergent. Laughing, she said, “you just don’t know how I wash clothes.”

I clearly don’t know how my grandma washes clothes because she uses five times as much detergent as I do and only washes half as many clothes as I do. (Maybe she mixes XTRA detergent with her decaffeinated coffee in the mornings…I would have to add something besides half and half to my coffee if it were decaffeinated.)  The mystery to the missing detergent of Meadow Avenue remains and as my brain was playing detective; I asked myself what mysteries of Jesus keep my mind constantly thinking? And I was drawn to the blood of Christ. Of course, I know the stories and references to the blood of Christ (because I read my bible daily) and I sing lyrics to songs referring to the power of the blood. I know that I am forgiven and washed clean by His blood. I know that the blood He shed at Calvary gave me life. I remind myself daily of the undeserved blood of Christ that has cleansed my soul, yet I can’t grasp the everlasting love of Jesus that accompanies His blood. I can’t grasp how despite all of my past sin, all of my imperfections, and all of my shame; God still claims me as His own. The very God who spoke the universe into existence, who gave life to man, and who sent His son to die, loves me unconditionally. He loves all of us unconditionally. I am not sure I will ever be able to grasp the beginning of God’s love (good thing no mind can ever comprehend the depths of His love) because each time I start to; He loves me more and more. But I am able to understand that there is nothing righteous in me. Nothing I possess is worthy enough for my King. God doesn’t love me because of who I am; he loves me because of who HE is.  God loves us so much friends. He loves us so much that He gave us Jesus. He watched His son withstand the beating which led to the blood that gave us life and wiped away our sins. He gave us Jesus friends. How can that not bring you to your knees and leave you speechless. Just because He gave us Jesus doesn’t mean all of us are satisfied with Jesus. Is Jesus enough for you? When you wake up, is your first thought Jesus?  Do you want and need Him to be with you from the beginning of your day?  If God would take everything else in your life away, would Jesus be enough? Would the blood He shed at the cross for your life and the undeserved everlasting love of Christ be all that matters? Not only is Jesus enough for me; His love is beyond comprehension to me. Jesus Is greater than anything I could ever imagine. Knowing that the one who walked on water, fed thousands with rations of bread and fish, and withstood Calvary loves me more than my heart can imagine doesn’t just bring me to my knees. It makes my life’s desire to live every second of my life in pursuit of the worthiness He deserves.

My grandma’s technique to washing clothes leaves her with the cleanest clothes in West Virginia. (she has to be using an 1/8 of the bottle with each load)  And leaves me completely speechless as to how one lady can use so much detergent in a week’s time.  God’s technique to washing away our sin with the blood of Jesus leaves us with the freedom to have an abundant life filled with everlasting love. And leaves me completely speechless as to how one Man can love me so much in a lifetime.

Verse to remember:  1 Peter 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.