“let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” Hebrews 10:2

I noticed I needed some clean socks, underwear, blue jeans and long sleeved shirts. I also noticed the hamper on my side of the room was overflowing… logically putting 2+2 together, I grabbed the hamper and threw it all into the washing machine. Since it wasn’t quite a full load I threw in a couple towels as well. No sense wasting good space right? Finding a packet of something that promised a ‘fresh smell for up to 12 weeks,’ I threw some of that in too. What could it hurt!?

My wife freaks at the way I do laundry. Many a time she has chastened and warned me to NOT throw HER stuff in with MINE. She fears discoloration and wrinkles. Me? Not so much. If my socks or underwear come out a little blue and wrinkly… who’s gonna notice? Being the mature one, I do not discriminate against HER way of doing laundry! I let her do MY dress shirts and pants!

As I was pulling out the laundry to throw it all into the dryer, a yucky smell hit my nose. Not being stupid, I instinctively knew that this should not be. After all, I used the scent beads! Investigating, I carefully looked at the rubber seal around the inside of the door. Pulling at it, I noticed that deep inside a rubber fold, black smelly crude had grown and collected. My cleaning machine actually needed cleaning! Who’da thunk?

My wife and I have different jobs in the house. You might say we discriminate. I CAN be a male chauvinist pig as I believe there are some things that are the man’s job… and there are some that are the woman’s. Cutting grass, working on the car, clearing drains and killing wildlife in the house are MY jobs. Cleaning the floor, washing the sheets, washing windows and dusting are hers. Cleaning smelly crud out of the washer CLEARLY fell under my jurisdiction! So I did!

When it comes to my Christian walk, Jesus and I are a team. And just like with my wife and I, there are things that only HE does.. and things that ‘I’ am responsible for doing. Happily… the disgusting, stinky, dirty area of sin falls under HIS expertise. But it appears I am not completely off the hook. Today’s verse reminded me that my body, soul and spirit can be washed clean by Him.  But it is MY job to BRING it to Him in the first place. ‘Draw near… SINCERELY!’

I admit that cleaning the of crud of my life is a nasty business. But I have learned that there are some areas where God does NOT want my help. In fact, my interference… interferes! I am called to sincerely show up with the dirty laundry… He then lovingly cleans. No role reversal is permitted. The meaning is obvious… If I smell, see or sense ANY crud in my life… and I DO have the senses to notice… I am required to deliver it to HIM. And THAT is how God does laundry EVERY time!