There has
been an unpleasant smell in the basement bathroom since our return from
holidays- after 2½ weeks of not being cleaned by the kids. Since I was rarely in the basement, it wasn’t
a priority. Once I caught up on the more
important work and after taking a short camping trip, then seriously cleaning
up some
other areas, I finally got to cleaning the bathroom today.
Shower done √ walls √
ceiling √ sink √ cabinet √
toilet √ ¾ of the floor √ After all that, the smell was not completely
gone and I couldn’t figure it out. I
grabbed the plunger to move it and clean the other part of the floor and as I
raised it up smelly water (more than you’d think) came splashing out on the
floor and at me. Yuck!
Not only was
it smelly, but slimy inside the plunger, a sure sign of stagnant water- toilet
water at that. I cleaned the plunger,
the rest of the floor and finally the smell is gone. The one place I would have never thought to
look! Stagnant water is something I truly
don’t like. Besides it looking bad, it
is a breeding ground for mosquitoes and I am a mosquito magnet. The word stagnant is used of water or ‘air in
confinement’ having no current or flow and often having an unpleasant smell as a consequence; also showing
no activity; dull and sluggish.
I think sometimes we get stagnant dull,
sluggish and therefore smelly, in our Christian walk, and I’m not talking about
eating too much garlic and onion or beans!
Just like the longer we go without a bath the smellier we get so the
longer we go without the Word, prayer, God’s presence, etc, the smellier we get
spiritually. Pretty soon our nasty,
smelly selves are easily frustrated and splashing out harshly to other’s words
we don’t like. It’s so difficult to keep
our peace and joy when we haven’t spent time with the Lord.
(God and Jesus) according as His divine power has
given to us all things that pertain to
life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who has called us to glory and
virtue, through which He has given to us exceedingly great and precious
promises, so that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the
world through lust.
But also in this very thing, bringing in all
diligence, filling out your faith with virtue, and with virtue, knowledge; and with knowledge self-control, and with self-control, patience, and with patience, godliness, and with godliness, brotherly kindness, and with brotherly kindness, love. For if these
things are in you and abound, they make you to be
neither idle nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2Pt.
1:3-8
If God does not slumber or sleep
Lord, help us to neither be idle nor unfruitful in knowing
You
(which requires time with You)