21 May 2015

Floors and Prayer

Bill Brandt  When I read my grandmother's diary, she  almost always ended the day by scrubbing her kitchen floors
From Pinterest
Have you ever washed the floor? Not with a mop, I mean down on your knees, scrubbing one patch at a time.

Scrub, scrub, scrub, polish, scoot back. And repeat.

When you first see the floor, there’s a moment of internal panic because this floor is big and your rag is small.

But you kneel down, you take a deep breath, and you scrub hard.

It’s funny how much that sounds like prayer.

Prayer is sometimes a tricky thing for me. A lot of times it’s a, “Oh, man, it’s bedtime and I need to pray” type-thing, without really feeling the spirit moving within me, just feeling the urgent desire to sleep.
Kind of like scrubbing hard a floor that looks like it'll never be finished.


But that floor was finished.


That thought explodes in my mind, moving me with the utter awe of this--


"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." (Philippians 1:6)
I mean, how powerful is that?

It's like scooting back as you wash your floor. It gives you perspective. All of the sudden you see a little strip of clean floor where there was once dirty floor--you see the renewal and transformation of your mind and spirit as you are sanctified and grow closer to God.

Can we just take a moment to say, "Wow!"? Because seriously, guys.

That is amazing.

May we always pray with the hope of scrubbed floors set thick in our minds. 

14 comments :

  1. Goodness, I really love this. And I really needed it today. Thanks for the perspective <3

    Stay lovely, dear.

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    1. Lorraine, thank you so much for the kind words! I'm glad you needed this. It is incredible when God uses me to speak to someone! That just gives me goosebumps! Thank you!

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  2. God is so good. I often find myself in prayer at night rather than sleeping. ;-P Though I do feel like sleeping some of the time. So I know this.

    But oh man. This post is so good.

    Wow!

    *laughs at self but really thinks it too*

    Wow, wow, wow.

    <3

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    1. This is true. Right BEFORE sleep, though, I am tired and want to sleep. But in the middle of the night when I'm awake.....

      Thank youuuu. I'm so glad you liked it. Wow is such a weird word and you never know if you will sound sincere when you use it. XD But yeah. THANK YOU!

      <3

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  3. God is sooo so merciful and amazingly kind <3 Which is truly the only thing that has kept my faith alive. I try to exercise prayer throughout my whole day, in whatever I'm doing, whether a happy or sad thing, to pray. But right before bed is the time that seems easiest but it's also one of the hardest. Ugh.

    Anyways, this post was awesome! I loved your analogy and it was really great :) Thanks for the inspiration =)

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    1. Ah! Yes! As it says in 1 Thessalonians, "Pray without ceasing"! That's something that I have been striving for, too. And just realizing that prayer doesn't always look like head down, hands clasped, but it is oftentimes not even saying a word, just being in constant communion with Jesus.

      Thank you so much for the thoughtful comment! So glad you enjoyed.

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  4. Wow, I never really thought of it that way. Whenever I have to scrub floors (because I honestly have to, especially when my parents are out and I'm cooking) there's so much thought placed into it, and then when I go to bed and pray, it's like, "Oh, please pray for *insert thing and reasons here*. Amen." Like, no thought! Is it weird that when I was younger, I actually prayed more intensely and talked? I would spend like, ten minutes praying, and this was before my parents actually told my brother and I that praying should be a daily thing. Oh my gosh, the teenager years, man. DX

    xoxo Morning

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    1. It's kind of nice to think of scrubbing floors like that. It's quite bookish. And yeah, so true! I always kind of think that my prayers have to be, like, textbook or whatever. But God loves me as me (the wordish weirdo that I am XD) and that's incredible. Like, TALKING to God is what I really need to do more often. Because it's a relationship, not a I get this from you if I say it nicely type thing. Anyway, yes. Thank you so much for the thoughtful comment, Morning! I always love to hear your thoughts!

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  5. Who HASN'T scrubbed a floor?!?!?!

    AND IT'S SO TRUE When there's so much to pray about and so many people to pray for, it can get overwhelming.

    It's so nice to find and read encouraging blog posts like this.

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    1. I don't know. Some people might not have, you never know.

      Yusss. Yeah, totally get that. And then you're like "I'LL NEVER BE A GOOD CHRISTIAN BECAUSE I CAN'T PRAY FOR EVERYONE IN THE WORLD." But yeah. Scrub. :-)

      Schmanks Becca. :-)

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  6. God is an overwhelming flood and I drown wholeheartedly.

    THANK YOUUUUUUUUU.

    All I can think is Eustace Scrubb.

    xoxo

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    1. So true and so beautifully said. Aghhhhhh.

      YOU'RE WELCOME!

      EUSTACEEE.

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  7. I love the analogy to scrubbing the floor. Great post! :)

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