By Rev. Dr. Monica Hardy
Have you ever planned a peaceful retreat, a time of rest and relaxation? You got your hot tea,
soft music, journal, and your favorite book; then suddenly you got a call and found yourself in
total chaos. Instead of remaining calm and prayerful you have a “Good Times - Florida Evans –
damn, damn, damn moment”. It’s as if someone was intentionally pushing your buttons causing
you to get anxious, tempered or angry leaving you feeling as if you don’t even know God.
Psalms 51:6-7 (NIV) says, “Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in
the inmost place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter
than snow.” There are things that have contaminated our heart and soul that we are unaware of
and God wants to clean, purge and sweep away those things that lie beneath.
When I was growing up every spring my mom would announce that it was time for spring-
cleaning. My brother and I would scatter like roaches because we knew that meant her making
us clean the ceiling fans, vacuuming behind the sofa, sweeping behind the washing machine,
wiping down the base boards in every room and dumping that pan under the refrigerator.
Although my brother and I fussed and complained – we loved the smell of pine-sol; it purified
our atmosphere. Sorors, this is exactly what God wants to do in us. Sometimes he needs to get
in those cracks and crevasses of our heart to clean out the stuck on hurt and dirt. Over the
summer break take mini-vacay’s with the Lord and allow him to do some spring-cleaning. You
may not like the feeling and some aspects of it may hurt, but in the end you will be able to
breathe and embrace the new!
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