Help stamp out dirt

When I was in the 9th grade, I played the part of Cinderella in a play entitled, “The Truth About Cinderella.” It was a spoof of the well-known tale, and Cinderella suffered from an OCD – compelled to clean and clean and clean – a trait she had inherited from her late mother.

I don’t remember all the lines or lyrics, but I do remember a few bars of one particular song that revealed the life lessons that Cinderella’s mom had taught her:

Scrub the windows and the doors
Wash the hearthstone and the grates
You could eat off Mamma’s floors
Which saved dirtying her plates
She reminded me as I clung to her skirt
To help stamp out dirt!

It’s funny, but I’m pretty far away from 9th grade, but I still have the tune and those lyrics run through my brain when I am tempted to over-achieve. It’s interesting, but as I have gotten older, and stopped trying to clean up my own messes, I make less of them.

It’s the same truth we always talk about. If we try to yank up or weed out the things in our life that are dirty, we often end up experiencing continued failure. Continued failure ultimately leads to a sense of defeat – the place where we stop trying altogether.

God offers us a different way. He does the cleaning, the changing, and we just cooperate. And, amazingly enough, the less I strive the more I thrive (catchy, huh?).

Cooperating with God does require that I point my feet in His direction, which is an act of my will, but the power to be different does not come from within me. Determination and perseverance are not nearly enough, as anyone who has tried long-term inner change will admit. But my small and weak will, partnered with His big and strong power, can help stamp out dirt.