When the O-Cedar isn’t Enough: Let Jesus do the Deep Cleaning

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

This past Saturday, I had just come from an annual (ACCW) meeting, and I’ll be honest, I was sitting with a whole lot of feelings.

I replayed everything in my head: the moments I stumbled over my words, the things I meant to say but couldn’t quite get out right, and the awkward spots where I felt like I just missed the mark. Even though kind people reassured me, I couldn’t shake the thought that I had let everyone down.

I came home carrying that heavy feeling of not being enough. And you know what I did?

I grabbed my old O-Cedar mop.

Now, I don’t know how many of you have one of those, you know, the mop. The one that’s been with you through thick and thin. The one you swear you can’t clean without. It might be a little worn, maybe even a little squeaky, but it’s still your go-to when the house, and sometimes your spirit, needs a little scrubbing.

There’s something about that mop. I’ve used it to scrub away the watermelon juice I spilled while cutting a snack for the grandkids. I’ve used it after Play-Doh parties on the kitchen floor. And I’ve definitely used it to release some tension after a long day, mopping like I was fighting off my frustrations one swipe at a time.

But here’s the truth: as reliable as that mop is, it can’t clean everything on its own. Some messes; those sticky, stubborn spots need backup. That’s where Mr. Clean with Unstoppables comes in. It’s the power my mop doesn’t have by itself.

And it hit me our lives are a lot like that mop.

We try so hard to clean ourselves up. We walk through life’s messes…grief, self-doubt, shame, anger, loss and think we can handle it all alone. We believe if we just scrub hard enough, we’ll get it right. But there are moments when our efforts fall short. When the mess is deeper than we can reach. When we’re too tired or too broken to fix it.

That’s where Jesus comes in.

I’m not saying our Savior is a bottle of cleaner, but I am saying that His grace is the most powerful cleansing force we’ll ever know. When we open our hearts to Him, when we stop trying to fix everything ourselves, He steps in not to shame us, but to restore us. To renew us. To love us, sticky spots and all.

So why do we so often resist?

Why do we believe we’re too far gone, too messy, or too much for Him to handle?

Sisters, no mop, no matter how trusty, can clean a house on its own. And no heart can heal without the help of our Healer.

Let Jesus be your deep clean. Let Him into the places you’ve been afraid to show. Let Him wash over your soul with compassion, mercy, and love. Because, unlike even the best cleaning product, His grace never runs out.

We don’t have to be perfect. We just have to be willing.

With love (and maybe a freshly mopped kitchen floor),

Billie Burhite