Cleaning The Gutters

I started my day by cleaning out the gutters of our house. We have lived in our house for quite a few years and I can’t remember us ever engaging with the arduous chore of cleaning the gutters.

I knew the debris had started building as there were leaves and twigs hanging over the edge of the house. When a row of thistles started growing out of the gutter I realised it was well and truly time to give them a clean.

When I finally climbed the ladder and looked inside the gutters I initially thought they were just full of dry leaves.

But as soon as I removed the first layer of garden litter I was surprised to find dirt and mud an inch thick all along the bottom. The leaves were easy to remove but digging the sludgy earth from the gutters was a whole other story.

Clearly we had left them for so long and the dirt had built up over so much time that a simple task turned into a dirty, muddy, extensive cleaning session.

Our lives can be just like these gutters. Dirt and muck come across our paths every day but if we don’t take the time to cleanse ourselves and purify our hearts before God then the dirt just builds and builds. The longer we leave it the harder our lives are to clean up.

Thankfully, by the grace of God, we can never be too unclean for God. No matter how long it has been or how dirty we may be, God will always take the time to wash us clean.

Let’s not allow the dirt and sin to build up in our lives, but take the time to come to God with contrite hearts.

Lord, forgive me for the dirt I hold onto. Wash me clean so I may live wholeheartedly for You. Amen.

What dirt are you holding onto?

clean, dirt, grace, Gutters, sin, wrong