just a vessel

Been cleaning jars lately, getting them ready to cann with. This is a job that I enjoy. Cleaning a dirty, stained, not used in a while jar and then canning in it is a passion of mine. Scary isn't it the little things that can thrill us sometimes. I search for jars anytime I can, finding them at auctions and flea markets mostly.

I remember the time I was cleaning some really nasty jars. They had been in an old barn for many years and even had paint sprayed on the outside of them. They were giving me a fit, almost to the point of giving up. And it was during one of my many breaks from them that the answer came to me on how to clean them. I tried it, it worked and I felt on top of the world.

That's when God showed up and humbled me with one of those spiritual moments. I realized what I was doing with those jars was the same thing He does with each of us when we finally end up in His hands. No matter how dirty or stained we are, He will clean us until we shine and then fill us with good stuff. And after the proper time in His spiritual pressure cooker we become staples within His heavenly pantry, to be used when needed. And when we are exhausted, He'll repeat the cycle just as we do with our jars.

I need to remember this more often in my life.