He Bought Me a Pressure Washer

If you walk on your hands do the signs of gravity reverse?

Six months after purchasing the new house, it was finally "a time to mend" our fixer upper. (Ecclesiastes 3:7) We finally started moving in. While moving in we were finishing the interior painting, doing some minor remodeling, and lots of cleaning. One of the cleaning chores was the pool deck. It is made of concrete and looks like a popcorn ceiling. It feels like it too when you walk on it barefoot! Not that I know what walking on a popcorn ceiling feels like. As I chuckled at the thought of walking on the ceiling to see what popcorn felt like, I wondered if it would also reverse some of the signs of aging due to gravity. Would it lift-up any body parts to where they were 20 years ago? Hmm….

One mending problem at a time to ponder, so back to the pool deck. The popcorn divots were filled with what appeared to be years of dirt, many divots so deep and full of dirt they were growing weeds. I pulled the weeds, but that process alone did not result in finding the sweet interior like it did with my Grandmother's leaf lettuce. Somehow, I had to get rid of the dirt. I tried sweeping and scrubbing a little. I quickly realized I needed a mechanical advantage. My Boy-Toy knew the perfect tool for the job and went and bought me a pressure washer. Did I mention that he is my Superman? It worked great and did exactly what I needed it to do, and I was filled with happiness. The deck was so clean I immediately texted some friends and told them, "He bought me a pressure washer, it is better than a diamond ring!"

God is even better than my amazing Superman at teaching me what tool I need to be successful. God always knows exactly what we need, and it isn't to always be happy, but it is to trust that He wants to fill our lives with His joy. In Matthew 6:8 Jesus says, "Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." Jesus is teaching joy is an internal condition given to us by the Holy Spirit. Unlike happiness, which comes when someone or something fills a much, desired need in your life, joy happens when we love who we are. Additionally, the passage teaches us that praying should be carried out like an intimate conversation with someone you love. God knows you so well and loves you so much that He does not need an overabundance of details.

I try to remember that prayer requires motion on my part. It is easy to pray with joy and thanksgiving when I am happy because things are going well in my life, but when the popcorn divots are filled with dirt, remembering to pray with thanksgiving is more difficult. The reality is when anxiety tugs at our soul, it is more important than ever to pray joyfully and with gratitude. Psalm 16:11 says, "You make known to me the path of life; you fill me with joy in your presence with eternal pleasures at your right hand." He is always present when the divots in your life are filled with dirt.