Casandra Martin

We sat behind the sweetest young family at church on Sunday. Mom, Dad, and their little angel of a girl, not quite a year old, with bright red hair and wide blue eyes. She is busy, curious, and learning what it means to be with God’s people in worship. We love sitting by them. It reminds us of who we are, the power of grace, and the joy of being family.

As I sat behind the little girl, I watched her wiggle, laugh, read books, pull on mom’s sleeves, rub dad’s whiskers, stand up in the seat and grin mischievously, sing, hold a Bible, and play with her quiet toys. (I really was paying attention to the worship service too, I promise!) Finally, it was time for a snack. She settled into mom’s lap, while mom fed her bits of a fruit and cereal bar. At first, she was content to let mom put the bites in her mouth, but it didn’t take long for her to become determined to feed herself. Mom broke the bar into small pieces and her little fingers delighted in squishing them and then finding their way to her face. I’m sure some of the food made it to her tummy, but her fingers and cheeks were sticky as well.

In the midst of protests because the snack was all gone, mom reached into the diaper bag and pulled out a packet of wet wipes. Within moments, the evidence of the mess was gone. The sticky was unstuck, the stains were wiped clean, and the little one was ready to explore the world. Wet wipes are marvelous things. And they helped me see Jesus.

My Jesus Resolution today is to be thankful for the way Jesus cleans up my messes. The wet wipes reminded me of the way the blood of Jesus makes me clean. Over and over, I get sticky with sin, grimy with guilt, and stained with shame. Each time, Jesus faithfully washes me clean, enabling me to face the world with joy and confidence. Today when I see a wet wipe or use a napkin, I am going to remember the way that Jesus moves to help me face life with a grace-cleaned heart and a mercy-scrubbed soul.