Authentic Trash

I am cleaning the wood floors of our home, and I hear the murmuring of my youngest child. I couldn't quite hear what she was saying but as she followed me around the downstairs of our home, I tuned in.

I realized she was saying, "Please mom, can you share the trash?" I had been so wrapped up in my own thoughts I failed to realize my daughter was asking me a question...

"What sweetheart?" 

"I want to help you mama. Can you please share the trash?" 

At that moment the Holy Spirit whacked me upside the head with questions of His own. 

Has anyone else been asking you to share their trash and you haven't been tuning in?

Who have you asked to share the trash with recently? 

Do you stay by the side of other women when they are trying to clean up the trash in their lives and ask if you can share in it with them?

Do you offer them hope?

Where is your sacrifice of praise by sharing how I have cleaned up the trash in your life?

I handed my daughter the little dust pan and broom and pondered...

(a lil' frustrated and overwhelmed at the questions)

Who was it in my life that had trash? 

Well... that seems like a silly question because the answer to that is everyone! 

Whom have I asked to share it with? I have trash in my life. I have things that I struggle with, and yet there are a lot of things that I have overcome. Why am I not sharing? Why do I protect myself against allowing others to share with me? Why am I so afraid of exposing my mess? Or, getting into someone else's mess? Or is it that I am not so much afraid as I am lazy and selfish??

In a meeting with Pastor Georgie Baxter, she made a statement that really stuck with me. She said, "The women who follow you will follow because of your successes, but they will connect with you in your weaknesses."

Man, that was so enlightening to me. Even though I knew it was true in my OWN life! I knew that was how my brain operated, and that is how I viewed women I admire. BUT, to think that there are women or people who may be looking and watching ME?? Whoa, that was heavy! I was not prepared...

Yet, I am prepared.
Aren't I?

According to the Bible, I have everything that I need in order to do whatever it is the Lord has asked me to do. So, if there is someone in my life that has an issue or a need, and Jesus commanded us to love our neighbors as ourselves, logic tells me that I have something to offer this person. I am NOT their savior. (Nor would I want to, or pretend to be) But, the Lord reveals if we ask. Each person, each scenario differs. That is where tuning into Him and prayer come in. But I have something to offer! My authenticity, my story of Christ-led victory, my arms of compassion, a listening ear, a meal, a bag of clothes, the list goes on!

We all have trash.

 I'll share mines, if you'll share yours! 

2 Corinthians 9:8 "God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you're ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done." (MSG)