why I love vacuuming...and what it says about me
My favorite household chore, by far, is vacuuming. I love my vacuum cleaner. It is a red Kenmore Progressive Canister vac. with 360 degree swivel hose and several attachments. It is powerful. It can suck up a lot of dirt. It is fast. I don't have to mess with much, except to change the dirt bag every so often. I have had 2 vacuums in 18 years of housekeeping, and both have been Kenmore Canisters.
So why do I love vacuuming so much? So many reasons! It's fast. Quick results. A room can go from disgusting to fairly tidy in minutes by the vacuum. I don't like laundry...too many steps. Too many hours involved. Too much energy expended (both mine and the appliances!)
So what I come to realize, unfortunately, is that I don't like to suffer long, slow, work in the process of accomplishing worthwhile results. I am results oriented, looks oriented. I want my work to show. Laundry rarely shows. Nobody sees my kids until Sunday! Nobody knows if my sheets or towels are clean. But as soon as you walk into my house, you'll know if I ran the vacuum.
I pray my spiritual life is not "vacuum oriented." In other words, I hope I do not do the easy "chores" to make myself look presentable, while avoiding the long, slow work of transformation. An undone life can't be swept up in 3 minutes flat. Messes happen that we can't fix quickly...or at all. Our Savior does give us a new nature, but there is still remaining sin. Sin that can clutter, corrode, and leave a film of dust on our redeemed lives. And I find myself wanting a vacuum for all of it.
Today, I remember that I need Christ to produce the longsuffering I need to bear with myself. I am redeemed, but not perfect. I am saved, but still a sinner. There is no vacuum, but there is hope. My Lord will not leave me as I am, in the muck of my sin. He is shaping me into his image. And each day a little more of my dirt is removed so his glory can be seen in me. Thankfulness fills my heart.
"And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." 2 Cor. 3:18
So why do I love vacuuming so much? So many reasons! It's fast. Quick results. A room can go from disgusting to fairly tidy in minutes by the vacuum. I don't like laundry...too many steps. Too many hours involved. Too much energy expended (both mine and the appliances!)
So what I come to realize, unfortunately, is that I don't like to suffer long, slow, work in the process of accomplishing worthwhile results. I am results oriented, looks oriented. I want my work to show. Laundry rarely shows. Nobody sees my kids until Sunday! Nobody knows if my sheets or towels are clean. But as soon as you walk into my house, you'll know if I ran the vacuum.
I pray my spiritual life is not "vacuum oriented." In other words, I hope I do not do the easy "chores" to make myself look presentable, while avoiding the long, slow work of transformation. An undone life can't be swept up in 3 minutes flat. Messes happen that we can't fix quickly...or at all. Our Savior does give us a new nature, but there is still remaining sin. Sin that can clutter, corrode, and leave a film of dust on our redeemed lives. And I find myself wanting a vacuum for all of it.
Today, I remember that I need Christ to produce the longsuffering I need to bear with myself. I am redeemed, but not perfect. I am saved, but still a sinner. There is no vacuum, but there is hope. My Lord will not leave me as I am, in the muck of my sin. He is shaping me into his image. And each day a little more of my dirt is removed so his glory can be seen in me. Thankfulness fills my heart.
"And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." 2 Cor. 3:18
Hi Kristen
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allie