Soaking

Tonight I had camp stew for dinner. The large stainless spoon rest I used got pretty greasy, but rather than attack it right away with the ol' scouring pad, I let it soak in some dishwashing liquid for a long while. By the time I was ready to clean it, the liquid had done its trick, de-greasing my spoon rest and allowing me to wash it quickly and effortlessly. Now it's it clean and I can use it again.

Sometimes our lives turn out to be a big mess. And sometimes, rather than attack our mess head on, God lets us soak for a while (often in hot water!). While it may seem like punishment, truly He's trying to get the crusty layers of sin and selfishness and pride that build up on us out of our lives. Then He can rinse us off, good as new, ready to be used again for His purpose.