I used the Friday after the Thanksgiving holiday to take care of some household chores.  I cleaned the garage and threw away anything that I have not used in a couple of years or do not think that I will need in the upcoming year.  I swept it out and then took some dishwashing soap and the water hose and sprayed it down.  Though there was still some clutter, it was stacked nice and neat and the concrete floors were pretty clean.  It is looking really good for a garage.  I also took the time to re-paint the wall in the bedroom where my granddaughter stayed when they lived with us.  Avery is three.  She is an artist and the world is her canvas.  If you do not hide the crayolas you will find artwork in the strangest places.  I have found some of her masterpieces behind the couch and on the underside of a table.  I do not know how she gets in these places or gets her hands on the colors or when she does her work.  She is like a “Crayola Ninja.”

The masterpiece she left in the bedroom was behind and over the bed.  It covered an area which was 4 feet high by 8 feet long.  That is great range for a kid who is just barely 3 feet tall.  I covered it with some primer and painted over it with the touch up paint provided by the builder.  Unfortunately the builder did not properly estimate the prolific amount of art work my granddaughter would leave in my house and I ran out of touch up paint.  I had to buy more.  It was a flat paint and being “builder’s grade” it took three coats for me to cover my granddaughter’s art work.

While I have continued to emphasize to Avery that coloring should be done only on paper, I am reminded of another lesson every time I clean up behind her.  Though it takes me multiple attempts to remove the traces of her indiscretions, the Lord is able remove ALL traces of our indiscretions with no problem at all when we go to Him in repentance.  In Isaiah 1:18 the Lord says to His people:

“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.” Isaiah 1:18

I am so glad that our Lord is able to forgive us so readily and so completely through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  I am so glad that He is able to remove the marks and the stains which we can never hide or cover on our own.  I am so glad that we have a merciful and forgiving God.