I'm sure most of you who have spent many years in home maintenance would agree that this isn't likely an appearance of a normal 10 years old faucet. The thing is, it is.
This morning I lashed out in a zeal for a sanitary makeover, not just cleaning, but also to aggressively saw to it that without replacing a single thing, the existing pipes & porcelain will once again dazzle even the meanest critics. Having done the porcelains, my attention was absorbed to a steel faucet I mentioned before.
Since I didn't plan to share what I received during the following process, sadly I didn't take the "before" look of the faucet, so allow me to use third party image as an illustration.
I started with some detergent, some special abrasive cream & a handy steel mesh scrubbing pad. Not long after that the obsession grew from cleaning the tip of the faucet to a complete 360° thing π . During the process I self-taught how to dismantle the parts for better reach, I even learned the following term ..
Limescale!
It was evident after 15 minutes of scraping that even the special rare abrasive cream won't do the trick. Years and years of mineral buildups from soaps, calcium from toothpaste residue, even the water, all these have formed a rock tough limescale "fortress" that's been repelling my "attacks". While the oxidation stain are no match for my magic cream, the limescale was (way) a different story! It was then when I though of my dentist friend and came up with an idea.
Excavation time! It took me more than another 30 minutes to complete scraping & picking any bits of limescale left and along with them the stains. One of the most exhausting cleaning I've ever done! But the result is rewarding and even more, inspiring!
God is in The Stain Removal Business
Even in my state of financial struggle it wouldn't be much of an issue just to replace this faucet with a new one, some might think going through such trouble just to save about US$15 of purchase just isn't worth it.
However I somehow felt the urge to finish this venture whatever the cost. Why? Because as I scrubbed that small metal faucet and felt the limescales as they gradually crumbled and washed away, I began to see my life as well as many believer's in the process.
As we go through seasons of life, we've been thinking, speaking of, and doing things so seemingly insignificant. However, as we do or neglect certain things constantly, they built up over the years, creating a fortress of limescale stains in our lives. And once we realize their existence (by God's grace), they would almost certainly overwhelm us because they are anything but easy to break free from.
Some of us would come to God and ask for a light painless scrubbing, or abrasive cream of miracle to somehow melt that limescale away, deep down we know that together with God's help we actually need painful & exhausting excavation work of sanctification.
Psalms 119:71-72 (NKJV)
It is good for me that I have been afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes.
The law of Your mouth is better to me Than thousands of coins of gold and silver.
Proverbs 4:20-22 (NKJV)
My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings.
Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart;
For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.
How true and clarifying. The Book of Psalms & Proverbs teach us that we don't learn God's Word by verbal teaching and head knowledge only. We learn it best by allowing affliction or suffering. However as believers we should keep in mind that these disciplinary experiences are not our act of redemption. They on the other hand serve as God's grace, His providence so we may have both chance and experience of how God's love and truth, His ever present care and the liberating power of The Word making bottom up permanent transformation, a new creation.
Isaiah 64:5-9 (NKJV)
You meet him who rejoices and does righteousness, Who remembers You in Your ways. You are indeed angry, for we have sinned-- In these ways we continue; And we need to be saved.
But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.
And there is no one who calls on Your name, Who stirs himself up to take hold of You; For You have hidden Your face from us, And have consumed us because of our iniquities.
But now, O Lord, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.
Do not be furious, O Lord, Nor remember iniquity forever; Indeed, please look--we all are Your people!
Luckily for us, God is in the stain removal Business, and He has promised that He won't stop until His (cleansing) works are done!
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Philippians 1:6 (NKJV)
He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
So rejoice and be willing. I'd close with "willing", because rejoice is already bestseller, but do you know that when King David said "Cleanse" in Psalm 51, our opening passage, he was also referring to ancient laundry method in which the dirty clothes as smashed to rocks to remove stains and dirt? So be prepare and welcome God's loving smash with a smile. π π π
Your laundry companion
θΆε₯εΏ Felix Zhao ♥️♥️♥️
* "He is Faithful" image courtesy of 700Club
From brother Felix's thumb π ♥️
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