A couple of days ago I awoke with the notion that Renew360 – the complete 360 degree turn around – is not just about renovations and home stagings.  It has just as much to do with a complete turn around in my life as well as the lives of others.  This turn around in me should have a domino affect.  Once the turn-around takes effect in me, my desire is to positively affect those who are connected to me.

Step 1: Clean hands and a pure heart.  Believe it or not, the act of washing my car was a start in cleaning up my life.  I actually did it!  I got up this morning determined to do it.  I asked my husband to point me in the direction of all the tools necessary to get the job done.  I kindly asked him to forego micromanagement and to just offer positive reinforcement.  He gently complied (My guess is that he was relieved that I didn’t ask him to wash it for me. LOL).  This may seem like a small task to most people. But, car washing is not usually my cup of tea.

So I had a bucket, cleanser, sponge, brush and the water hose.  I went to work spraying, wiping, and scrubbing for at least an hour.  To hear my husband tell it, I was out there for 3 hours.  I was determined with what some would call a “made-up mind”.  I think it finally hit me – there are things I have to clean up in order to move forward.  I had to vacuum, not just the surface debris.  I had to go deep in the crevices between the seats.  I had to remove and wash the floor mats.  Once they were removed, I had to vacuum the dirt that was buried/hidden underneath.  I had to wipe the seats, the dashboard and console removing any residue that may have built up over time …  And finally, I had to wash the windows. Even though I’d already washed the outside windows, in order to really see clearly I had to wash the inside windows.  Have you ever noticed a film on the inside of your windows when the sun hits it just right?  Well you do realize that the film is there even when the sun isn’t shining in that way?

We must get a clear vision of what God has purposed for us to do.  We do that by studying the word, spending time with God in prayer and just quiet time listening to Him, connecting with people who know and love God and will speak the truth to you.

We have to deep clean our lives, not just the surface mess.  We can go to church or anywhere else for that matter and put a superficial smile on our faces.  None would be the wiser.  Everyone would think everything is okay.  But as people speak and ask “Hi, how are you?”  The automatic response is “Fine, how are you?”  More than likely neither person is really listening to the other.  So I ask you now, are you really fine, are you really okay?  I encourage you to stand flat footed in front of a mirror and ask yourself “How are you?” and don’t move until you know you’ve answered honestly.  We have to face ourselves before we face the day.  Otherwise, we may find ourselves judging others out of our own pain and inconsistencies.  We have to take the time to examine ourselves and make sure we’re being and becoming all God has created us to be.  Once we recognize ourselves and really accept ourselves no matter what happened yesterday or last year, we can begin to love ourselves again.  Once we release ourselves from the shame, pain, and disappointment of past decisions, etc., we can breathe fresh air and live life abundantly.

An abundant life can mean many different things to different people.  I think for me it means living the free, joyous life that God created me to live.  To be able to love myself and others thru the eyes of God.  Imagine if we all did that one thing – love ourselves and others thru the eyes of God.  What kind of world would that be?  I think that’s where the pure heart comes in.  So often our hearts become dirty and hardened due to life experiences and setbacks.  Whatever these experiences may be, we can’t allow them to define the rest of our lives.  We have to stop the act of going thru life fearful, bitter, angry, regretful, ashamed and whatever other negative emotion you may be or have been feeling.  We end up either mistreating, mistrusting, misunderstanding ourselves and others, and missing out on opportunities that could catapult us into our destinies.

The word of God and relationship with Him and His people will dig into those deep dark crevices that only He knows about and pull out the dirt and broken pieces of your past and help you navigate through life with a filter called the blood of Jesus.  Jesus stands between us and our mess; therefore, God only sees the us He created us to be.

Just as I cleaned the inside of the windshield and cleaned the residue from the console, when our hands and hearts are clean and pure, God can wipe the scales from our eyes so we can clearly see His vision for our lives.  But it starts from the inside out one step at a time.

None of this just happens automatically.  We must desire change.  When I decided to clean my car, I did it.  On the surface it didn’t seem so dirty.  Once I started the process, I realized it hadn’t been thoroughly cleaned in awhile and it took longer than I had expected.  But I couldn’t quit until the job was done.  Had I quit halfway, no one else may have noticed.  But I would know.  Once the job was complete, I felt better.  Doesn’t it feel better driving a clean car?  Oh, the smell of a freshly cleaned car.  The tire rims are all nice and shiny.  No matter how old or new your car is, it seems to drive better when cleaned.  LOL.  I know … it’s just a mind thing.

But how long does it last?  We have to clean it regularly, not just once.  For some reason, it seems to always rain within a few days after a car wash.  That can be life sometimes.  It seems that a storm comes and you have to navigate thru muddy roads and debris in the air.  That’s why prayer and relationship are so important.  You need to know you have someone in  your corner.  Clean hands and pure hearts help us to continue loving ourselves and others when times get rough.  Just like we need encouragement during rough times; remember that we may need to stop and give someone a ride one day.  We’re all walking and riding through life together.  We may need to stop and pick someone up when they’re going through tough times.

So with all that being said … I guess the moral of this story is … we need to keep our cars / ourselves clean, not only for us but also others.  So get up, clean up, encourage yourself, then encourage someone else.

Ask God to renew you today.