Redemption of a Stinking Bathroom

So, I moved into a house two blocks away from Greenlake with three fabulous house-mates . . . and I love it. I'm right off of Aurora - and driving home through Seattle in the evenings with the sun setting behind the Puget Sound on my left and the skyscrapers silhoutted against the velvet sky on the right makes my heart ache with joy. It's bizarre to be living so close to the track where the women walk - I've seen more than one of our girls already walking in the evenings, so close to my own community. It feels right to be here.

I was reflecting the other day on how strange it is that I love Seattle as deeply as I do. For the first several years I lived here, I remember feeling so preoccupied with Africa that I didn't have a moment to think about my own city - and I started to pray that the Lord would give me compassion for my own people . . . my own city. I feel like maybe He answered that prayer more deeply than I would have liked - because I break for this place, and I love it so much. I loved talking about home when I was in Athens - love thinking about this city - love praying for it and dreaming for it and being a part of God's Kingdom becoming more deeply manifest here . . .

I started going to church at Bethany Community Church; it's walking distance from where I live now - and super involved with the community. Last week, it got up into the 100's here (temperature), so the church opened up the sanctuary and had an air-conditioned family movie night for whomever wanted to come. They've partnered with a school across the street - they started a homeless shelter for women in the area - and they're also involved in work overseas. And they love the Bible - and a lot of the people that I've met from there really seem to believe it, too. Praise the Lord - I need to be around people who believe God's Word is true, and really have a passion to obey it. I want to be more like that. I want to meet with Jesus deeper and live Him out more - I want to be obedient and live righteously; I want to stand for the Gospel and LIVE and BREATH His Words. I want to see Justice and Peace and Righteousness meeting here in my community and being lived out with my people . . . I want to walk in the light of Jesus' truth. . .

So, this house that I moved into with these three other girls in their 20's . . . well, it's pretty old. I totally love my little teeny bedroom . . . I feel like it's very Hannah-esque. And there's a little teeny bathroom next to my bedroom that I share with one of my house-mates. It smells funky. I literally spent hours cleaning it today . . . and I was reflecting on how good it feels to make something that is dirty CLEAN. I remember when I was a kid, vacuuming the basement at our inner-city house in Milwaukee. I used to put dirt in front of the vacuum cleaner because I loved to see it get sucked up . . . There's something so gratifying about changing DIRTY into CLEAN.

I think it's because REDEMPTION is something we were CREATED to REJOICE in . . . I love transformation, and I love to see it happen . . . even when it's as simple as my stinking bathroom. I want that for my city, too . . . I want it for my people. I want it for the girls I work with here - and the ones that are overseas. I want the patience to love them and show them Christ, the One who changes BLACK into WHITE - in my life and in theirs.

I love You, Jesus, for being the God of RECONCILIATION. Take me to You, Lord - I just want to be with You!