The Pretzel

I declared last week as clean up, clean out the vehicle week. I battled the Accord the first day. It is smaller and a more logical starting point. I tackled the Suburban on day two. When I started working on it, I realized they were as different in size as a mouse and an elephant and yes, more space holds more dirt. I deposited ten minutes worth of quarters and dove into the Suburban. Sometimes there is no other way to begin. I started in the far back and worked my way up. I made sure I had on proper work clothes, nothing nice and all, and contemplated whether I might need a pair of plastic sterile gloves for an extra protective layer. I worked at a decent pace, tossed a few water bottles, chunked a football or two in the far back, and made a mental note to tell my youngest that my car is not her closet. When I found myself tucked in behind the passenger seat in the floorboard like a gymnast in the middle of a front tuck, I got stuck. No, I was not physically stuck in the floorboard, although that could happen as well. I mean I got stuck like I was totally focused on one item and I could not move on until I got it. Time was running out on my deposit, but I did not care! I was on a mission to get a waffle style pretzel that was lodged in between the passenger front seat and the console. I put down the vacuum hose all together, hard decision for a penny pincher to make, and used the seat lever to move the seat all the way up. I shimmied my hand in between the seats, wiggled my fingers, and tried with all of my might to reach the pretzel. It took a few times for me to get it. From my crouched down position and nearly entirely 100% under the front seat by this point and out of breath, I had my “ah-ha” moment of the week…hard to believe there could be a divine appointment in this circumstance I know. I could have ignored the pretzel because our Suburban was cleaner than it had been in some time, and I had come so far in my quest of cleanliness. However, I chose not to ignore it! I wanted all it, and decided from the moment I spotted it that a clean car included getting the one by one inch forgotten pretzel out. Likewise, God wants all of us. He does not want us to leave anything only partially surrendered to Him. Partial obedience robs us of peace and joy. We cannot reason our way through life by thinking that a certain amount of sin, not too much compared to last year, can just be ignored and forgotten. The Lord does not want us to give Him 99% and keep 1% hidden and tucked away. Nothing is hidden from Him. We only kid ourselves when we think that. Just like I was not satisfied with the one pretzel being left, the Lord is not satisfied with us when we hold onto, grip one part of our life and refuse to give it all to Him. So, ask yourself this week. What is tucked away out of sight, but not out of mind? What is hidden and out of view to everyone, but you know it is there and that God wants to take it from you? Get it all out this week. Give everything to Jesus. In 2 Corinthians 2:9 Paul urged the church of Corinth “For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything.” That applies today. Are you obedient in everything?