My Personal Dirt Sensor

We purchased a new vacuum last year. Our old one was really old and though it had been faithful it was undoubtedly ready for retirement.

The new vacuum came with plenty of bells and whistles: it is hypoallergenic (good for our asthma issues) and has more attachments than I will ever use. But my favorite feature is the high-tech dirt sensor.

The dirt sensor is a light at the top of the control panel that transitions from red to green as I am vacuuming. When the light turns solid green it means the spot I'm working on is indeed thoroughly clean. I find this especially fascinating when it looks to me like an area is finished, but the sensor says it isn't. So I keep on with my back and forth motions until the indicator light tells me I've completed the job.

With my old vacuum, I would have just moved on leaving the ground in dirt behind, but my new vacuum tells me to stay put for awhile. And when I've finished, my carpet really does look and feel cleaner.

At the risk of oversimplifying, the Holy Spirit is my personal 'dirt sensor.' When I have an attitude or an area in my life I think is cleaned up, the Holy Spirit reminds me that even though it looks good on the surface, I may not be quite clean underneath.

It is in these times that I need to keep pressing; maintaining an awareness of what my Indicator is telling me. If I move on without a thorough cleansing, build-up occurs and ugly spots rise to the surface.

Similar to my vacuuming, a completed task and a 'green light' often takes longer than I want it to. I have to spend more time in certain areas of my heart and it can get frustrating. I'd love to just do a quick sweep and have it all taken care of, but that's not what's best.

The Indicator is helping me and in the long and short of it, I'll be a lot better off. Closer to refinement. Closer to where God wants me to be.

I've started the practice of praying as I vacuum. In those areas of my house where I'm waiting for the dirt sensor light to turn green, I am reminded to pray for the areas of my heart that are still in need of cleansing. In more ways than one, it has made a mundane chore a lot more meaningful...and profitable.