Love Lifted Me

I got a phone call yesterday from my sister. She sounded a bit distressed and out of breath. The farm dog, Buddy, is aging and has arthritis in one of his hips. He can't walk very far or move very fast these days. Evidently, he chose to go for a dip in the cattle's watering hole...and got stuck in mud! Lori saw him struggling hard to climb out of the pond.
After several attempts to reach our father, who was on a tractor in another field, Lori gave up and went down to the pond herself to help Buddy. She ended up wading in the pond to pull Buddy out and nearly got stuck in the deep mire and mud herself! It scared her...and if she hadn't been home at the time, Buddy most likely would have drowned trying to get out - or his heart could have failed him. He couldn't walk once she pulled him out. Buddy was tired from his struggle. Dad was finally summoned, and he brought the wagon to the pond to carry Buddy home.
Can't we all get stuck in the "mud" at some point in our lives? Our "mud" can be deep and treacherous at times. Deep enough to prevent us from moving forward in our Christan journey.
Our "mud" can make us stagnant. Fearful of drowning in sin and despair. Unable to move. Isolated. Alone. Desperate for help. It can simply wear us out!
There is One ready and waiting to pull us out of the mire and muck. All we need to do is call His Name...Jesus! And He is there...with the lifeline you need to be freed up. Removed from the pit. Never alone again.
Summon Him...He'll carry you home, safe and secure.

"In loving kindness Jesus came
My soul in mercy to reclaim
And from the depths of sin and shame
Through grace He lifted me
From sinking sand He lifted me
With tender hand He lifted me
From shades of night to plains of light
O praise His name He lifted me!"
Charles H Gabriel 1856-1932

Cleaning Out the Clutter!

My sister and I were out running errands one day and stopped by a craft/hobby store to browse. As we walked in the front doors we saw various types of furniture on display. My eye was drawn to a five-drawer chest. As I meandered towards it my sister quickly grabbed my arm and said, "NO! Don't even go look at it! I know what will happen. You'll fill all of those drawers with stuff that I'll have to help you clean out!" She knows me well...
You see, I like to hide my clutter. As long as it's not visible to me or to others, I'm OK. I stuff "stuff" in drawers, cabinets, and closets with the full intent of going back to it and cleaning it out later when I have more time. Many times I've called on my sister to come help me clean out the buffet or kitchen drawers. We'll clean them out and eventually they'll clutter back up with this and that and who knows what. Been there?
But this last time we cleaned out my mother's buffet I was determined to KEEP it that way! And I have, so far...I'm making progress! :)
Jesus wants to clean out all the clutter in our lives. (Sin, pain, fear, worry..the list goes on!) He wants to dig down deep and remove all the dirt and grime. All the junk. All the "stuff." And He wants to keep it clean. Washed clean. White as snow clean.
We're so good at hiding stuff, aren't we? But we can't hide it from the Savior. He knows what's behind closed doors and drawers and every nook and cranny of our hearts and minds. Ask Him to come help you clean your clutter. He's willing and able to help you every time you need Him. And best of all, He'll keep you from RE-cluttering your life! Once clean, you don't ever want to return to the old way of doing things.

2 Corinthians 5:17
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (NIV)