Hand Washing

Don't tell anyone, but when I normally wash my hands I don't spend a ton of time making sure every part of my hand is absolutely clean. I don't wash each finger individually or wash the top of my hand thoroughly (its not like I'm going to use the top of my hand the rest of the day).

Yesterday afternoon I just decided that I wanted to be thorough in washing my hands. [That is definitely the dork coming out. Sometimes I do totally random things. I'm glad no one sees these things most of the time, but now my cover is blown...oh well] Even as I was doing it I felt silly. Even so, I made sure to spend sufficient time on each finger. I even moved my ring around to get under it. Yeah...I know...silly.

Then...all of a sudden...I found a spot of something at the bottom of my palm. What!? I didn't know that was there. If you would have asked me before I washed my hands, I would have told you it was not there; I would have told you my hands were clean. I even debated at first whether I should wash my hands at all! "They are already clean!" I would have said. So...now I'm glad I decided to be thorough in washing my hands! Who knows what kind of embarrassed I escaped from my thorough hand washing! This little spot was now gone. Relief. I rinsed off my clean hands and went on my business.

What are you talking about Chris? I'm glad you asked. Think about this: How often are we thoroughly attentive to the little spots of "dirt" in our lives? Many times, we don't spend time even considering what is dirty. We might even say, "little white lies never hurt anyone." What about that little bad attitude that is only seen by God? I bet you didn't see that little speck of jealousy.

Today I will be attentive to the sins that hurt my relationship with God. I call out for God's cleansing hands to be thorough in washing me. The imagery of Psalm 51 is fitting. Hear our prayer:

"Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love ... Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge .... Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice."