John 7:38, Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

The noise had begun to subside as the children flooded out of the church auditorium and into the arms of those who waited on the other side of the door. I looked around the room to make sure there were not any beloved treasures left behind.

No treasures were left unclaimed, but there was plenty of dirt and debris scattered on the floor. I went in search of a broom to clean up the mess. Name badge stickers, glitter, and lollipop wrappers began to form a pile as I slid the warped broom underneath chairs and around corners.

I came to one particular spot at the front of the room and discovered pieces of crusty macaroni and cheese on the floor. I thought to myself, “How did this- of all things- end up in here on the floor?”

As I swept it up, it left behind a slight and nearly unnoticeable smear on the linoleum. Now the floor would need to be spot cleaned. Within moments a large, new batch of children began to flood the room. I decided I would just finish was I was doing and the smear would have to be dealt with later.

One never knows where they might see something ordinary and mundane and The Lord sees it as a teachable moment. But I was paying attention to His presence after all.

How often do actually clean sweep ourselves? How often do we actually pause long enough to notice to buildup of dirt and debris the world has left behind after it trampled its way though our mind and soul? And how often do we disregard the smudges and smears that are left behind thinking we will get to them later? And how often does later never come or just plain pass us by?

Too often beloved, too often.

I mentioned this thought to a sweet friend who was in my company while I was cleaning up the dirty floor. She immediately understood the picture I painted and then asked, “But how do I get rid of the smears? That is what I need to know.”

Hot soapy water will wash the floor dear child. Fresh living water will wash the mind and soul.

Only the living water offered by Christ alone can wash our burdened selves. In order to scrub away the smudges and smears we must bathe ourselves in His precious Word.

By pressing into His word we can work out the dirt, the lies, the hurt, and the pain. By replacing our words with His, we can renew our hearts and begin again with a fresh start. And by making it a daily practice in our precious yet fleeting lives, we can rest in His promise that we are made new. The greater the discipline, the less burdensome we become.

Father, thank you for your living water. Thank you that your desire is to soothe us by giving us something cool to drink. And Father, I ask you to keep making us thirsty and never satisfied with the temporary refreshment the world desires to give. Amen.

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