The other day my husband and I went to my father-in-law's house on a mission. He wanted to clean a carpet that he was trying save. My husband remembered the carpet from about ten years ago and he really wanted to keep it. Unfortunately, keeping it was going to require cleaning it.
It was still in good condition but had a couple of worn, dirty spots. We took our carpet steamer and some potent cleaner and went to work. I was not feeling well but I did my part. I sprayed the cleaner and then hit it with a brush and I was done, then my husband got to work.
He ran the steamer once and I thought we were done...nope. He ran the steamer again and I have to admit the carpet looked much better. That not being enough, he asked me to spray more cleaner on the worn spots. I added more cleaner and scrubbed the area, then went to sit on my stool as he cleaned again and again and again. The carpet looked amazing but then he said he had to "run straight water" through the steamer to clean excess foam.
I was not only not feeling well, I had been sitting there for a while already as the went up and down on that carpet. He started with clean water but after every cleaning he lifted more dirt. We had been there three hours when I thought about his persistence. I thought "He has worked really hard to clean this carpet. He really wants to save it!"
My husband's patience was admirable and the value of that carpet was evident through his patience. While those three hours dragged on for me, he was not even aware that it had been that long. His focus was on the end result.
It was then that it hit me how much God wants to save us and how he never gives up on us. My husband was not going to quit until that carpet was spotless. Likewise, God is not willing to give up on us. He will not give up on us or throw us out because of our sin. He stands ready to offer us forgiveness and eternal life. We are not without hope. We have someone that stands ready to cleanse us.
Many times on the surface we may appear clean but God knows the filth underneath that no one else can see. Even so, He does not give up on us.
The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9
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