Cleaned up the yard yesterday.

     We all need to do cleaning up of our yards, garages, houses and even our lives.  We are funny in that we clean up that area we expect our guests would be going to but leave other areas a mess and just close the door.  Never mind that we know what is in "that room".  We believe that areas of our lives are off limits.  Some definitely should be.  I cleaned up all of the branches blown down in the last wind storm.  There were a lot!  I even cleaned up my neighbors front yard of branches blown down from my trees.  It seemed like the right thing to do.  I know he would have told me to never mind and that it's all about living in the country.  He's a good neighbor and I want it to stay that way so I cleaned them up anyway.  I didn't stop with the piles scattered around the yard.  I took them to the burn pile in the back of my property.  There they will stay until next spring/summer when I burn the pile.  The yards look like the storm never happened and I'm pleased with their appearances.  Any of my guests would see the yards and never know the mess they were.
     Guests come to my house on a fairly regular basis.  Some are friends and some are relatives.  Occasionally, repair people come to do what I'm unable to or don't know how to do.  The friends get the house as it's lived in.  Nothing done but to have the coffee on and pillows on the couch.  Relatives fall into a different category.  They get the family room, kitchen and main bathroom cleaned version.  Obviously there is an image that needs to be kept up.  Family get togethers fall into the next category.  Within that category the yards are cleaned up, the driveway cleared and the walk to the house is swept.  The foyer and living room are cleaned and no clutter.  The house has been thoroughly cleaned and the beds made to boot.  The kitchen is cleaned and dishes cleaned and put away. Basically the house is spotless.  To the last category of cleaning add Bibles dusted off and on display for the Bible study or Home Group.  It's no wonder no one knows what anyone really stands for anymore with so many different standards.
     For the Christian (all of the above happen in their homes as well) there is one more room that needs to be addressed.  That would be the room of our heart.  We pretend that our external lives are different than our internal life.  Our hearts are like a  mansion with many room.  We have doors on those rooms and there are only handles on the inside of the door.  Jesus is invited into our home and lives there if we have accepted Him as the Lord and Savior in our life.  Like all Christians, I too have rooms where the doors are closed and I haven't let him in out of embarrassment, shame, or parts of my old life that I haven't been willing to let go of.  You too?  I'm glad I'm not alone.  What are we to do?  Facing the truth is a good place.  Even though Jesus is a gentleman he doesn't go anywhere uninvited.  Don't be deceived, Jesus knows what is in every room of our heart.  He knows what we think, say and do.  He knows our "secret" sins as well.  Yet, Jesus loves us as no one loves us.  He doesn't demand we clean the house.  He would be happy if we did.  We know we would be happier if we cleaned the rooms as well.  It's difficult keeping so many rooms dirty with their doors closed.  Satan uses them to distract us from a full and happy life. 
     We know what we need to do.  We choose to either do it or to not do it.  It's always our choice.