Elbow Grease

Doing the dishes was a chore done by a ton of kids back in the fifties. If you’ve got a dish washer – loading it is NOT doing the dishes. Back in the day before ‘the machine’ – we had to get the water so hot your hands would turn fire red. Every dish had to be scrubbed clean. There were no scratch pads which made pots and pans one of the most difficult of the washer’s chore. One evening I was doing the washing part of doing the dishes and my brother Chase, six and a half years my senior, was the dryer. He operated under two rules. When he was washing the dryer made up for the washer’s mistakes. BUT when he was drying the washer’s mistake was a do over. He kept popping a pan back into the water and my tears began to flow. “I can’t get that off”, I exclaimed. He would just smile and put the pot back into the water. After many do over’s and pop back ins I finally with great consternation marched into the living room to report my dilemma and Chase’s impossible behavior to my mother. She listened, smiled and said, “use elbow grease”. Without comment I rolled my eyes, dropped my shoulders and returned to the kitchen. My brother had disappeared. He had to have been gone at least 20 minutes and when he returned he found me under the sink. “What are you doing?” he asked. I literally had climbed all the way under the sink. A six year old body can do that. I poked my head out, “I can’t find the elbow grease anywhere- doesn’t it start with an L?” I sobbed!

Earnest, diligent and steadfast won’t help if what you are looking for isn’t where you are looking for it. Plus it helps if you know what ‘IT’ actually is!

Love seems to be as slippery as elbow grease. People can’t find it in their jobs, or their performance or achievements. It’s not rolling around in the hay, or the back seat of a car or a dark secluded place doing the ‘wild thing’. Material possessions, wealth or popularity don’t seem to bring a sustaining love. Even relationships fall short in love on a regular basis. People are mean out there – ever notice? I think I saw all those things under the sink!

A pearl to string: Love isn’t something you get and it doesn’t come in a labeled can either. Love is something you give. True love is neither physical, nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be. So if it’s love you are looking for don’t look under the sink or any of those other uncanny places. Grow closer and more intimate with God because ........."God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them". 1 John 4:16, NIV

The Message (contemporary English from the rhythms and idioms of the original language) states that Scripture verse as: "This is how we know we're living steadily and deeply in him, and he in us: He's given us life from his life, from his very own Spirit. Also, we've seen for ourselves and continue to state openly that the Father sent his Son as Savior of the world. Everyone who confesses that Jesus is God's Son participates continuously in an intimate relationship with God. We know it so well, we've embraced it heart and soul, this love that comes from God".

Grow beautiful in love my friends,
Lyndi