True Car Confessions..

When we d.s.s go to cabinet, several of us may go out to lunch together each day. So that means we carpool. For the entirety of last year, I did not offer to drive. Not because I don't like to drive (how could THAT possibly be when I do so much of it?), but (here comes the true confession part), my car was so messy, and I don't just mean cluttered, but dirty on the inside, that I didn't want any of my cabinet colleagues to see it. Never mind that I know folks look inside as they pass by it, but good Christians that they are, no one over the last year ever said "yuck" at least not within my hearing. I really can't make myself go into detail here, but gum, sunflower seeds, chocolate, food wrappings, grease spots and stuff that I didn't know what it was down in the little nooks and crannies got cleaned out today. I am just glad that there was not another question at ordination about whether my car was so dirty as to embarrass myself, since even then, it was and I was, embarrassed, even until early this morning. Notice there is no picture of my actual car accompanying this entry.

One of my goals for the summer was that I would really clean out the car so that when cabinet meetings began, I like others could offer radical hospitality, which I did not feel I could do last year. Now I can, because I spent a good part of today cleaning the interior of my car. It certainly would not now pass the white glove test (maybe not even the brown glove test) but I could give someone a ride without apologizing, at least, not too much.

Many life, and perhaps spirit lessons here:

1) If something needs attention that is keeping you from being of service to others, don't wait till Labor Day to do it.

2) If there is something that you are keeping in the dark, or covered up, eventually it will get to you if you really are a conscientious person down underneath the gobbly-dy-gook of your life.

3) If you need help doing a job, ask for it. I did not today, because I have not learned this life lesson yet.

4) God forgives you even when you make a real mess of your surroundings and works through your disgustedness with yourself to accomplish far more than you can ask or imagine (actually parts of the car are cleaner than I could imagine this morning)

5) Sing hymns, psalms and spiritual songs while doing a nasty task...I kept singing And Can It Be That I Should Gain for some reason today. Amazing love, how can it be???

And so, cabinet brothers and sisters, my car and I are ready to practice the #1 practice and we are glad. And I say too, Mr. Charles Wesley, can it really be that I should gain grace through Jesus when I make a mess of my car interior..or when I realize that the car interior is not the only thing I have made a mess of??? You bet your bottom dollar, it really can be and is. Praise our blessed redeemer, amazing love, how can it be???? We are beloved and that really is the bottomest line.