Skip to main content

Wiping vs. Scrubbing


At our house in Oklahoma we had four full-time working bathrooms. They were each used by one or two people so keeping them clean (with the exception of Dawson's) was pretty easy to do. Wiping down the surfaces once a week or so was all it took.

Here in Missouri we have one bathroom. Well, we do have a toilet downstairs in the basement, but nobody likes to use it cause it's "scary" down there. I don't like to use it because the toilet seat is freezing! Anyway …

Our tiny little bathroom upstairs gets lots of action! I have to wipe down the countertops and clean the toilet every day. It doesn't matter how often I clean the floors, they are still always dirty! The people hair and dog hair seems to collect in that bathroom. I have an impossible time keeping the bathroom rugs hair-free. There is toothpaste crusted in the sink bowl and little odds and ends everywhere. We almost need a schedule to use it, and oftentimes someone is waiting just outside the door.

My point in all this, is this … I cleaned the bathroom today, more than just a wipe down. Well, I started my normal wipe down and then realized that I actually had some soap scum and water stains in the bathtub that were not the normal disrepair of our extremely old bathtub (it needs re-glazed badly!) So, I scrubbed and then scrubbed some more and then sprayed and let it sit for awhile before I scrubbed again. And it scrubbed clean and sparkly! But it took some hard work! I couldn't just wipe and walk away. I had to get on my hands and knees and SCRUB! It was time.

The important thing to note in all this is that I thought it was actually clean. It wasn't until I looked really close that I realized that it wasn't the disrepair of the bathtub that was making it look dingy, it was really dirty! I had been deceived for quite some time. I didn't even know it was filthy until I looked at it long and hard.

Then I moved onto the vanity top, drawers, baseboards and toilet and did the same. And when I was done everything felt so clean! Now, it won't stay clean for long. In fact, tomorrow I will have to wipe it down good again, and each day thereafter, or it will quickly resemble a public men's restroom. Yuck.

As I was scrubbing I got to thinking about my life. Maybe you can relate. Most days I can just wipe away the muck of my sin and bad attitude, bitterness and unforgiveness. Most days, that's enough. But then, after enough time, I look closer and see that I am not really clean at all, that's it's just an illusion, and that I need to get to scrubbing. I have to scrub and scrub and scrub, and spray the power of God's Word and Spirit on my sin, let it sit, and then scrub again. When this scrubbing is complete, things are clean and sparkly again. And it is good. Then it's easier to maintain. A simple wipe each day after usually does the trick, until the next time I find a sin issue that needs more attention.


Comments

  1. I love using a grapefruit half and kosher salt to scrub down the bathtub. It cleans fast, and the bathroom smells so great! Our hall bathroom is used my the girls and I. Hubby uses the master, he laid claim to it before we moved in. Not sure why but told him I'm not allowed to use it then I don't clean it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a great post! I think my house and my life need a good scrub.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Love this post! What truth! I have a bad "habit" of cleaning and scrubbing when I am angry. I have been known to scrub the kitchen floor at 2 am. I never considered the need for scrubbing at my attitude and my sin......my life. I do now! Thanks for sharing such great insight!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great post, and oh .... how I can relate.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

We all know that in this crazy world of homeschooling, we need all the (adult) support we can get. Please leave a comment if you so wish!

Popular posts from this blog

ABCya

Eli's reading resource teacher shared a website with me yesterday that I would like to pass along. It's called ABCya . There are separate educational sections with fantastic games for ages kindergarten through 5th grade. I browsed the 2nd grade level, and it includes age-appropriate games about Letters, Numbers, Shapes, Geometry, Patterns, Mouse Manipulation, Art and Holiday games. There are lots and lots of fun and creative games for children to play. They are fun, but oh, so educational. Eli's favorite, in his short time playing it, was Create a Car . A lot of the games also have Apps available for purchase (99 cents for most of them) for the iPad and iPhone. I have been looking for another free website for games similar to Starfall , for some time. I think I have found it. I can feel confident having Eli and Brynne play these games.

Cells ~ It's What's for Dinner

Dawson made edible cells on Friday. He made an animal cell pizza ... and a plant cell chocolate chip cookie ... He reviewed what he's learned about cells the past two weeks, and I had dinner made by someone else. Win, win!! I am linking up at Science Sunday at Adventures in Mommydom.

Last Child in the Woods ~ Chapters 1-4

Welcome to our book study of Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv. To be honest, I have no idea what this "study" is going to look like. I imagine that when we get together I will post about all of the things that caught my eye. And I would ask that you leave a comment, or a link to your own blog post in the comment, about what caught yours. This isn't anything formal, ladies, just a place to talk about what we have read. I have now read the first four chapters of Last Child in the Woods two times. It is just so good. Several things have specifically hit me deep, but in general I just realized that "times, they are a changin'." Things aren't the way they were when we were kids. Chapter 1. Gifts of Nature ~ "When I see birches bend to left and right ... I like to think some boy's been swinging them." ~ Robert Frost What is your definition of nature? What feelings, visions, senses does it conjure up? For me, it's not a