(This is an edited version of a blog which I wrote in 2017.  I think that it is an appropriate New Year’s meditation.)

I bought a new broom the other day; not an ordinary broom, but an extraordinary broom.  The bristles are natural material: very soft, very fine and very flexible.   It was fun to sweep the floor and get into all the nooks and crannies that may be overlooked during a quick clean.

The new broom got me thinking about my spiritual house.  It usually looks neat and tidy.  But what about the cracks, corners and crevices?  Do those need a clean sweep?  Should I use a new broom to sweep out the habits and opinions that cause my spiritual being to become less welcoming to God dwelling in my heart?  Would it help to look deeper into my soul and recognize parts of my life that need more of God’s light?  More prayer?  More meditation?  More spiritual reading?  Less critical opinions and practices?

Looking honestly into the corners and under the covers may help me to follow Christ’s example in all aspects of my life.  I want to welcome the Lord into as clean a house as I can provide while fully recognizing that I will never get it right every time.  I know that God delights in my efforts to demonstrate my love for Him by attempting to clean out the corners, but I know they will never be perfectly clean.  This is not a cause for discouragement.

Quite the contrary, I am reminded of a story that I heard at church one Sunday.  A young child sat enjoying her ice cream cone.  Suddenly, she put down the ice cream and reached up to plop a “sticky kiss” on her mother’s cheek.  The mother smiled and tenderly embraced her child, regardless of the mess and discomfort of the remaining ice cream on her lips.

The same is true for our gracious Lord.  He welcomes the “sticky kiss” every time!   He loves me and you and every single person in the whole wide world unconditionally.  How fortunate are we?  Read Psalm 86 and try a New Year’s Sweep!

Terri