Never Underestimate the Feeling of Clean

Last weekend Tom and I were able to meet up with our son and daughter-in-law and their three children at Riverbend Park in Smithville for some camping, canoeing, and fishing. It was a short trip, a bounce, really, but we made the most of the time we had and jam-packed the hours with as much fun as we absolutely could!

Mark and Laura have a camping trailer, which is awesome. Tom and I on the other hand have a camping... tent, which is also pretty awesome except for all the added accoutrements that must be hauled along with it.

I started getting things collected, organized, and pulled together from the shed on Thursday. We had a large floor cloth for under said tent, a couple of cots, camp chairs, a camp stove, ice chest, canoe paddles, fishing poles, life vests, two cot pads, two sheets, two blankets, and two pillows, and a waaaaay bigger duffel bag than we needed for our extra clothes for overnight. Whew! We also packed along bags of dry goods and prepared food, grabbed some liquid Benadryl from the bathroom closet, because... well, if you know, you know, and a first aid kit!

Oh, yeah, and I musn't forget to mention our 17 ft. aluminium canoe mounted on racks atop our little truck! It was a sight!

All this to say that by the time we loaded everything into and on top of the truck Friday morning and unloaded it at the campsite, I was already, shall we say... gently broken in?

The fun commenced and we were in the canoe on the Colorado River in no time! Tom and I were in ours with the two boys and Mark and Laura had little Casey with them in their inflatable kayak.

We canoed and let the boys fish to their hearts' content. It was great! They had a blast and never complained of being tired once during those couple of hours on the water.

That evening after dinner and a trek to the actual park part of the park, it was time for the kiddos to get baths and head to bed. While that was going on, Tom and I just sat out for a while and looked at the stars. I thought about taking a shower in the camp bathroom, but decided, "Meh... I'm not dirty enough for a camp shower, just a little sweat and some river water. I think I'm good."

Well, here's where the story gets interesting. After the kids' baths, Mark and Laura joined us underneath the tiny (and almost totally useless) string of Christmas lights we'd hung over the picnic table. We had planned to have our "Thirsty Thursday" on Friday that week so we could enjoy a glass or two (ahem) of Franzia's Chillable Red with some stirring conversation.

Turns out, that wasn't the only thing stirring!

Where they all came from, I don't know, but there were hordes, yes, hordes of what appeared to be either roaches or palmetto bugs appearing everywhere, and they were moving FAST!

Tom and Mark looked like they were trying to do the hat dance at one point! I kid you not. Tom went for one underneath my chair. So valiant was his effort that he acccidentally knocked into the leg, spilling red wine down my shirt and shorts! But, hey... he saved me from the critter, so, "Way to go, Honey!"

Along about midnight we had had our fill of everything and decided to call it a night. Again, and this time a bit more sticky from the spill, I thought about walking across the field to grab that shower. I thought about it for two seconds, then figured I'd just get up early the next morning and catch one then.

Same song. Second verse.

Morning came, but I had overslept. The kids were getting up and breakfast needed starting. More canoeing, fishing, exploring, and deer spotting kept us busy until lunch and afterward, when it was time to pack it all up again and head home.

What a stellar weekend it was!

Saturday evening, after the gear was put away and all we had left were the sweet memories, it was time to finally get that shower. It was amazing. Being clean never felt so good!

In a matter of minutes and with but a few gallons of hot water, two days worth of dirt, river water, bug spray, sunscreen, and... red wine were washed down the drain. Never would I take for granted again that glorious feeling of being clean.

It made me think of how we describe Baptism, a washing from inside out. For many of us, our baptism came when we were just infants, weeks old, not able to grasp the profound miracle happening within. The worst kind of dirt, clinging to us with a literal death grip, was instantaneously washed away in the combination of water and Word.

I wish it were easier to stay clean. I truly do.

I want to, but living in this sin-filled and fallen world, it's impossible to keep the grime off. It wants to stick. Sometimes, I hate to admit... I let it. Sometimes I am tempted to think I'm not really that dirty. Truth is... I am. I'm filthier than I even recall that I am, and if I ever think otherwise, I'm just lying to myself.

That's where Confession and Absolution come in. Oh, how I love them. They are my weekly shower. All the sin... all the muck and mire, all my misdeeds are left at the foot of the cross. Jesus takes them, forgives my penitent heart, and sends me on my way sparkling clean once again.

It's a tragedy that we don't always know what we're missing. We trudge through life wretched, lost, blind... sin-sick and filthy when all we need do is run to Jesus to be found, to truly see, and to be made...

clean.

"Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!... Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me and I shall be whiter than snow." - Psalm 51: 1-2, 7