CHECK YOUR WINDOW SILLS

The windows were shining, the furniture dusted and the carpet vacuumed. Ahhh, the feeling of accomplishment was sweet; time to let the fresh breezes blow out the lingering staleness created by the hot, humid days of summer; time to settle back with a well-deserved cup of coffee and admire the results of my fruitful morning. Tying back the curtains and raising the window, I suddenly recoiled in horror!!! My feeling of satisfaction and my beautiful room was suddenly marred by filthy window sills. The sills were grimy with dirt, dead bugs were strategically lining the wells and cobwebs filled the corners. Where had all the filth come from and how had I allowed it to accumulate to that extent? Paper towels and window cleaner work wonders and a half hour later I was sitting back enjoying my cup of coffee, secure in the knowledge that my rooms were spotless.

Pondering the situation, I realized how thankful I am for windows. The sills reflected what a great job the window had done in trapping the dirt and bugs before they took up residence in my house. God created our bodies with some pre-emptive devices to protect important sensitive areas from ingesting the filth and germs that swirl around us every day. If you are the mother of daughters or are extra sensitive, you may want to stop reading now or write your own ending to the story. I am the mother of two boys and believe me when you raise boys; all sensitivity quickly flies out the window. With boys, bodily fluids and noises were not subjects to sweep under the rug or discreetly discuss in hushed tones. OH NO!!! They were loudly proclaimed, a subject of masculine rivalry and at times actually celebrated. Now that you understand how my mind works, blow your nose, clean out your ears and wash the sleep out of your eyes. These are all systems that must be cleaned from time to time; systems that protect the body from ingesting foreign objects that would harm delicate tissue. If you never blew your nose, you would finally be unable to breath. Ears can become so plugged, that it seems you are hearing everything from inside a barrel and of course who would want their eyes glued shut with the goop that accumulates every night while you sleep? We make sure to take care of our bodily hygiene every day but what about our spiritual hygiene?

We have repented and turned toward Christ, our sins have been washed away through baptism and He has filled our emptied soul with the Holy Ghost. The inside is all clean!!! We live by the motto, WWJD. Our homes have been set up as a testimony, there are certain places and situations we shun, and we are careful to let our speech glorify God. The outside is all clean!!!! Before we settle back and rest in what God has accomplished in our life, CHECK THE WINDOW SILL. What is lurking in the corners, down in the wells and under the layer of dust we have allowed to accumulate. We still live in a world that doesn’t follow WWJD. We are bombarded with filthy words, images and evil imaginations every day. Although we may guard our heart and refuse to embrace the world’s view of life, we have to daily cleanse the accumulation from our mind. The Apostle Paul says it in such an eloquent fashion in Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Spending a little time with the Lord, listening to Godly music, reading a passage of scripture, and just allowing His love to gently wipe away all the outside crud will keep all the pre-emptive devices in good working order. If you haven’t checked the window sills of your heart in a while, take a few minutes, you’ll be reaching for the paper towels and Windex, with lightening speed.

SEARCHING FOR LOST SIGNAL

My life is now run by satellite. Forty years ago, we were amazed at the futuristic technology portrayed on Star Trek and James Bond. The actors were able to go places and accomplish things found only in the daydreams of adventurous screenwriters. Today, although, we still cannot be teleported to other universes, most of the gadgets have become reality. I have a cell phone, satellite television, a GPS system in my automobile and even an alarm clock that resets itself by satellite. They are all wonderful inventions until something interrupts the signal.

Steve and I were in the middle of a Law & Order episode one night when the storm clouds rolled in and the most aggravating message scrolled across the screen; “Searching for signal.” Nothing was wrong with the television, the station was still broadcasting the episode, but we could do nothing to remedy the situation because the receiver could not find the signal. The same thing happens to my cell phone as I cross the Mackinac Bridge into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Suddenly an inverted V appears with an attached rotating cone, frantically searching for the nearest cell tower. I am no longer connected to the world because the signal has been lost.

So many times traveling the “road of life,” I find myself disconnected and searching for the signal. Nothing is wrong with God. The signal is still being broadcasted to the world. Others are happily connected, but something is preventing me from receiving what God is transmitting. It may be a storm cloud or the mountains bordering the valley through which I’m traveling. At other times, I may have drifted to far from the “tower,” all I know is that my heart keeps rotating, searching frantically for the signal. As I continue on the path, like my car’s GPS system, I pick up a sudden voice that says, “Make a U-turn now!” If I obey that familiar voice, I find myself safely on the right road with the signal coming through clear and strong.

If you find your heart searching for the signal, remember it’s not lost. There is something merely blocking the reception. Deuteronomy 4:29 promises, “But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Look up, raise your antennae toward Heaven, begin to praise God and soon the signal will be restored.