As He is in the light ….

On Sunday Russ and I got to attend church up north. We had offered to help with the various directions our favorite athletes were headed in and so we found ourselves sitting in their place of worship. 

As happens every communion in that setting, I was reminded of a service a few years back. Graham had asked to attend big church that morning and so he happened to be sitting next to me. He was of the spiritual maturity to take communion and as he opened his cup, some of it spilled. 

I watched as he pulled his shirt over the purple stain. It was a tender moment for his Lola who has been a spiller of things her whole life. Many is the time I am dabbing coffee stains off of my own shirt or pants or both. As a child, my mother would tell people I was the only person she knew who could leave crumbs drinking water. 

It is true. I can. 

But there was something deeper as we ate the bread and drank the cup of forgiveness that morning. I remember thinking at the time of the symbolism of it all and how perfect a reminder. He wanted it to disappear. I wanted to desperately to help him, but there was nothing I could do.

I saw him check it again when we stood for the final song and repositioned the corner of his shirt over it when we sat down for the parting announcements. I watched him check it in the lobby to make sure it was covered. 

His efforts could only keep the eyes of those around him blind to the spill, but he knew it was there and it troubled him. He knew he couldn’t make it go away so he concealed it as he best he could. But it was on his mind. 

I am sure it was handed to his mother at some point and she worked her magic, like she always does. She applied the cleaning supplies that she knows will take out grape juice and the stain was gone. 

And I think how that is me. 

I have these blotches of sin that I drop throughout my days here and there. Some are accidental and sometimes careless and sometimes I am just plain mean. After the fact, I see the stain and I try to cover it up as best I can so no one else can see it. But I know it is there. 

I have a Father I take it to. He has the solution to my sin problem. It’s ironic that it takes blood to clean it out. Usually blood stains so badly. But this blood is life and forgiveness, grace and mercy and only He can apply it to me. 

I show Him the stain that He already knew was there and He washes it clean. And I am free and forgiven and loved. 

But I have to show Him the stain. I have to take the time to say what it is and hold it out. I have to acknowledge and own the thing, and hand it to Him. It is so simple and yet we struggle sometimes. 

So maybe this little visual would help. If you are finding a spot in your soul and you want to cover it up, that is the nudge to bring it to the Light of God’s love, mercy and grace and show Him. Become like a child with a grape juice stain on your pants. Take it to your Father. Look at it together and confess it as your sin, and then let Him do what only He can do. 

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1: 7-9