Yesterday I spent thirty or fourty minutes cleaning our bedroom window. The soon-to-be-spring sun was trying to shine through the winter drops, spider webs, and grundge. We have a large second floor window that overlooks a beautiful park. The greens and blues and people having fun out our window are a gift. When we can see them through the fogs of weather or window. Yesterday was beautiful, so I cleaned the windows with sun shining on me. I swung wide the panes, reached outside, brushed away dead spiders and leaves, and polished the glass. I used too many towels. So, today I opened the curtains ready to enjoy the rays landing on our bed and warming the winter out. But, today is cloudy. No bright sun. I lay in bed looking at smudges that only show in the gloomy light. I got up and did some more polishing. Waiting for sun. I had spent the sunny day cleaning the dirt. I missed the joy. I hadn’t cleaned them before the sun wanted in. I wonder how many times I wait for the right moment and when it comes, I am not ready. I missed my chance. Think of words to Joshua, “Be strong and courageous.” Strong comes before courageous. If you are not strong, when the moment for courage comes, you are not ready. Strength comes from work ahead, preparation, time invested. Keeping ourselves clean and ready. What does it mean to be ready? What does it mean to be ready for the sunshine, to be ready for walking into life with courage. To have things cleaned up so the unexpected guest in life can step into your world for a few minutes or for lunch in your home? To have courage to do as Joshua and enter the Promised Land? What does it mean to have my heart clean so I am ready to serve well, to encourage or to have the grace and strength to listen? What needs to be in order so we are ready for the next thing or the opportunity to step into the “promised land” God brings today or tomorrow? Maybe you can think of ways to have your window clean and ready to take in the sun. Here are some I thought:

  • Consider and confess my sins, regularly.
  • Have no regrets, clearing up relationships best we can.
  • Be well versed and shaped by God’s Word.
  • Slow down enough to notice the things that cloud joy and grace.
  • Get rid of junk in my life that distracts from what is important.
  • Have my heart calm, to know that God is God, not me.
  • To listen and hear.

I am sure you have your own smudges God would like to clean to be ready for His grace, to be able to step into what He brings. What are they? What can you do today to let the sun shine in and warm you? To be ready when the time comes. The sun will come out tomorrow. I look forward to enjoying it next time. Maybe even later today.