Dirty laundry

The other day a friend of mine send me a really cool message of how God spoke to her through an ordinary daily activity such as doing the laundry so I thought I’ll share it with you.

Amelia started collecting children and baby clothes after she realized the need in her community. When she receives the clothes it’s usually washed, fixed and neatly packed away before going to their new owners. Amelia shared: “what amazes me most is the fact that often those who drop off the clothes are people that don’t have a lot but choose to bless others with the little they have”

A while back someone came to drop off a bag full of clothes. She was quite disgusted with this bag of clothes because the clothes were dirty, full of stains and old food was still stuck to it. She just threw the bag of old clothes under a cupboard because she was too busy distributing the other clothes to those in need to spend her valuable time on this bag of dirty clothes. It boggled her mind how people could drop off these dirty clothes as if on a rubbish dump.

A couple of days after the clothes were dropped off she decided to tackle the bag after all. The bag was so disgusting to touch all she wanted to do was throw it away. She made a mixture of detergent and other cleaning agents and started soaking and rubbing the dirty clothes which turned the water into an ugly brown colour. Actually really mad and irritated not in the mood for this she repeated the process with a fresh mixture of water and cleaning agents. As she was busy washing the clothes she discovered that it was actually beautiful clothes that just needed a little attention and she started praying over the clothes, getting really excited about how they would turn out after they’re done.

After letting the baby clothes soak overnight she put it in the washing machine the next morning and rinsed it with fabric softner. While hanging each now clean, nice smelling piece of clothing it hit her like a bomb…Just as easy as it was for her to throw those clothes in the trashcan just as easy God could have rejected her, a sinner but He chose to wash her clean.He never gave up on her. God will never give up on you either.

She still had a few pieces of clothing that needed cleaning. It needed a little more soaking, rubbing and attention. This made her realize how God loves her and handles her with care because in her life there are still areas that need to be worked on. Still tough stains that God needs to rub out with His love and patience. Almost unable to see through her tears Amelia kept hanging the washing, just soaking in the realization of God’s unconditional love for her.

God is never too busy to love us, to pay attention to us or to care for us. His desire is to speak to us, wipe us clean, forgive us from guilt and shame. We are never too dirty to come to Him. He wants to make us brand new. Just like the clothes that are now clean and fresh smelling He wants our lives to be a sweet smelling aroma impacting those around us.

Follow @AleciaS707

KILL YOUR PETS

Some people have gone through so much hurt and pain in their lives it seems that all they know is struggle, hurt, loss, fear, confusion, disappointment, rejection and everything negative. To see the good in anything or anyone is difficult and complaining becomes a habit even when there are so many things to be grateful for. Self-pity or a looser attitude develops and to be accepted, loved and valued by others becomes a great deal.

When you own a pet it’s your responsibility to take care of it, to nurture it, feed, protect it, love it and enjoy spending time with it. Some people treat their hurt, pain, anger, fear, disappointment and struggles like pets. They pat it, keep it close to them, nurture it, feed it and even love it. Maybe you even take your little “pet” out for a walk, showing off your hurt, anger and bitterness because hey you’re entitled to it. In the process you influence the atmosphere and everyone around you in a negative way.

Through personal experience I had to wake up and have a reality check: life happens and you lose loved ones through death, your career might be unsuccessful, your heart gets broken, you’re not exactly where you thought you’d be by now in life, you don’t even know what you want to achieve in life, you struggle financially, you’ve been used and abused and it seems like you chase your dreams but never end up catching them and sometimes you end up questioning and doubting God. Great news: you’re not the only one going through these struggles in life even though it may feel like it to you.

The question is do you love yourself enough to let go of what you’re “entitled” to feel. At the end of the day you’re the one that suffers the most by clinging to all the negativity whether it’s in your past or present. The quote by Dr. Steve Maraboli is so true and powerful: “It is not uncommon for someone to be a self-saboteur and compound that by also having a victim mentality. It is as though they are holding their own breath and then they are blaming others for their inability to breathe. If they can break free from this cycle, everything in their life changes for the better”.

There’s no doubt about it that the cares, trials and tribulations of this life can be a heavy burden on ones heart and soul. By focussing on it however life can become so overwhelming that it leads to depression, unhappiness, sickness and even to your physical death. It’s sad that some people are alive but because of circumstances they are actually like the living dead (zombies), not living and experiencing life to its full potential, but they’re merely existing.

Without God you will not be able to survive the battle, but with God you are able to be more than a conqueror and not just simply a survivor. God provided us with weapons for warfare in Ephesians 6:10-18 (Armour of God). Not everything will be all sunshine and roses, but at least you won’t be alone. With God on your side you are able to face your fears and He will give you the power to overcome the challenges you face in life. He will give you wisdom and show you the way to total restoration if you listen to His instructions and allow Him to change your heart.

A change of heart would mean that there are certain actions you need to take which at first may seem too difficult. One of these actions is forgiving those who hurt you. Matthew 6:14-15 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses”. You might ask yourself: why should I forgive if I was wronged? Forgiveness is a powerful act that sets one free and brings forth restoration. So forgiveness is not just for the benefit of the other person but for yourself as well.

You also need to let go of anger, hurt, bitterness and resentment. All these things cause bondages in your life and keep you from moving forward. It sucks the life out of you and it seems like you’re falling into a bottomless pit screaming for help, but no one hears you. Maybe you’ve been screaming at the wrong people for help, because the key to your happiness and living a purposeful life lies with one person only and He is Jesus Christ.

It’s your choice whether you are going to trust Him with your life, just like being happy or unhappy is a choice. Are you are going to have a victim mindset or be more than a conqueror. Are you going to kill your “pets” or live with them? In time they are going end up killing you, slowly but surely as innocent as they may seem. Getting rid of your “pets” causes another thread though. They’ve kept you company for so long, you’ve gotten so use to them, so getting rid of them will leave you lonely, with a void. Jesus wants to fill that void. He wants to help you replace all the negative feelings, actions, habits and thoughts that ruled your life for so long.

Jesus Christ wants to be your everything: your parent, sibling, protector, provider, healer, teacher, guide and friend. He is always there but an action is required of you. All you need to do is draw near to Him and He will draw near to you. He loves you unconditionally and wants to provide for you, comfort you when you hurt. He wants to lead you in the right direction, into the light. He wants take away your feelings of rejection and He wants you to know that He accepts you just the way you are. There’s no need to perform or prove your worth to Him because he already knows your value. If you don’t know your value, you’ll find your value in Him. He wants to show you that His plans are the best for you.

You don’t need to take on the cares and burdens of this world alone. He wants to carry it for you, if you allow Him to do so.

Follow @AleciaS707