Sanctified Soak

Back in 2000, my husband and myself, along with our good friends Tony and Lisa took a trip to New Orleans. We were younger back then, no kids and fancy free, so one Thursday night we packed into their car and started out for my family's home in Mississippi. We drove through the night and arrived at our little country home around 4 AM. (Remember, we were younger!!)

We planned to stay the day and night there and then head to New Orleans (only three hours away) on Saturday. And that is exactly what we did. Saturday morning, we packed up the car once again and drove to the Big Easy.

We had a great time walking the streets of the French Quarter, sightseeing, shopping and eating at Cafe Du Monde. Just four crazy friends, living it up.

We bought some souvenirs for ourselves and our dogs (remember, we had no children!!) had fortunes read in Jackson Square and took a carriage ride tour of the quarter. We even managed to find a souvenir or two for my parents - who had graciously let us spend time at the newly renovated Riley Country Manse. We bought my mom a magnet for the fridge down there in the house and we bought my daddy this...

(actually we just bought the can of bubble bath shown on the right, but, HEY, how neat was it that I actually found a picture of this on the internet.... gosh I love technology!!)

So, we bought the "WASH AWAY YOUR SINS" bubble bath -which promised a "SANCTIFIED SOAK." It was pretty funny. My preacher daddy enjoyed the joke.

This week I was reminded of all of this as I sat in his study and gazed at his bookshelves, lined with probably thousands of books on just about every subject under the sun and on the tippity top shelf, there it was - the bubble bath container. It make me laugh.

I laughed at it because of the fond memories it evoked. But later in the evening, as I was sitting and contemplating my day and my week and my life in general I started thinking about that bubble bath in different terms.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could just take a bubble bath to wash away our sins. Have ourselves a good ole "sanctified soak," get out, dry off and be on our merry way. No memories of the "dirt" we just bathed away, no haunting flashbacks of the sins.

We can't do that, but thankfully, our Father in Heaven has provided an even better way for us. All we have to do is ask for the forgiveness, accept the gift of salvation given to us through Christ's death and resurrection and strive to follow in His example. It is not like the bubble bath, it is better.

Have you done that? Have you accepted Christ in your life? I am here as a witness to you, as a frail and imperfect person, I can do nothing without that strength and forgiveness in my life. I mess up - EVERYDAY - sometimes I make small mistakes, sometimes they are huge. But every one of them is washed away - not by some bubble bath sold on a shelf in New Orleans for $5, but by the priceless blood of Christ.

I hope you have a great Sunday. I hope you can find the peace, joy and forgiveness I am thankful to be living under. It is yours for the asking.

Living Happily in the Moment

Beverly