“Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.” Psalm 55:22

It was an old upright vacuum cleaner that nobody was using. Having a vacuuming need at another place, I threw it in my truck. Had I known the trouble it was going to give me, I’d have left it and used a broom instead. Turning it on gave me the first clue by the sound it made. The engine was straining, the roller wasn’t turning… and it didn’t suck either.

Investigation found that no maintenance had been done on the machine for a very long time. Hair and fabric had locked up the roller, the hose was filled with some kind of gloppy dirt, and both filters hadn’t been cleaned since the last time I cleaned out my old truck… BEFORE I bought the new one! For over half an hour, I cleaned every piece. Then hummed!

The vacuum cleaner brought back a teenage memory that was etched into my brain. Coming home from school, I found my father, as they say in Pittsburgh, ‘running the sweeper.’ “Hi Dad,” I hollered. He gave me a look that could melt nails. I didn’t know why, but KNEW I was in DEEP trouble. He just kept ‘sweeping’ with his head down… leaving me to figure out why!

It turns out he had asked me to do that job several times, days before, and I hadn’t. The mess on the floor paled in comparison to what was going on in his head. He must have thought I’d end up in prison for my irresponsibility. He gave me a simple job. I didn’t do it. The excuse, though I don’t remember what it was, was unacceptable. But I didn’t go to prison!

Dad and I BOTH had maintenance issues on this issue. I disregarded my father. He stewed on it. It was a life lesson on maintaining relationships AND Godly responsibilities. The incident of the vacuum calls to my attention that God indeed DOES have expectations of me on a daily basis. Ignoring Him and His will STILL get me ‘The Look’… in Spirit. Have YOU seen it? Have you been neglecting your heavenly Father’s expectations of you on a daily basis? I’ll bet you know what they are too!