THE HEAVENLY “BOD-WASH”

365 Days of Thanksliving — Day 217

Sometimes, nothing feels better than a good shower. Know what I mean there, Verne? Today, like a teenage girl, I’ve stepped inside the earthly bod-wash three times. Let me 'splain it to ya.

Three times? Yup: uno, dos, tres times. That’s a cleansing, isn’t it? Might seem a bit obsessive, but again, I digress.

So, if you’re a spoiled ‘Merican like me, you probably shower in the morning right after getting up, or just before going to bed. Me? I’m a morning guy; the water helps wake me up.

Now, in my Navy days, showering after work was always a must, ‘cause laboring for 10 to 14 hours in dungarees (ungodly hot and not-so-fashionable long-sleeve denim shirts and 70s-style bell-bottom jeans) in the Caribbean heat and humidity—just gross! But, in this stage of life, sitting at a desk is SO arduous, ya know? LOL.

That said, Sundays in summer behind the altar and pulpit can sometimes be a bit… blecth. Today was no exception. Stuffy temps, high humidity, a black clerical shirt, long pants, and a tightly woven robe to trap the heat within—that’s a recipe for a funky pastor.

Here’s an idea. Perhaps I do as Jesus did. He just wore his robe, undies, and sandals. No fancy-schmancy clerical clothes. Jesus dressed appropriately for the heat. And hey, if it was good enough for the Son of God? Huh? Right? Hahaha!!!

Ain’t nobody wanna see that!

Anywho, feeling all yuck, I honestly couldn’t wait to get home and peel off my garments. While I’d taken my morning shower to wake up and get all purty-like before church, I couldn’t wait to step back into the “bod-wash” and rinse that sticky filth off. A while later, after cooling down and feeling clean, I chilled for a while and watched Norway advance to the next phase. SKOL!

Well, with one good shower in the morning, and another less than six hours later, one would think I was good for the day, right? Yah… not today. After watching Norway trounce Brazil, I sauntered upstairs and caught a glimpse of the backyard. I knew it needed a thorough mowing, but I really wasn’t feeling up to it, ya know?

But one nagging question kept eating at me: what if it rains again? A week ago it was nicely groomed, but within days it went full-blown redneck jungle. It was calling me: Jason, make me look purty again. Comfrey Days is coming, after all.

Well, an hour later, and for the third time in less than 12 hours, I found myself peeling off my outer garments and again stepping into the “bod-wash” to rinse the yuck. Sweat, grass, dust, bugs, and perhaps a bit of dog stuff—it had to go. I needed Scrubbing Bubbles to feel human again.

I know. I know. I’m worse than a teenage girl.

Now, let’s get serious for a bit. We all like to feel clean, don’t we? (Well, I’d hope we do.) Me, personally, I like to feel as clean on the inside as the outside. Just as I bathe daily, I also realize I need to go to our “heavenly bod-wash”—AKA Jesus Christ—to wash away my inner filth.

I’m grateful I can do that from anywhere: me, the Lord, and the Lord’s Prayer. I’m also grateful we confess our sins to one another as a Church. There’s something soulfully refreshing about beseeching God to wash us clean. And while Christ cleanses us from all unrighteousness, there are times when we just need a bit of extra cleansing. At least I do.

I can’t speak for you, but there are days when I just mess up and proverbially “step in it.” In those times, I try to remember that I need to go back to my Savior to ask for forgiveness; because honestly, in those times, I feel just as gross on the inside as I felt today on the outside, and until I go to Jesus, I just can’t feel (or be) refreshed.

Today, I’m thankful God gives us so many opportunities to step within His Son’s presence to be cleansed of our sins. Whether we’re together at church, or one-on-one with God (even in the shower), we can confess our sins anytime anywhere we’re feeling all yuck-like.

The “heavenly bod-wash”—I hope Jesus isn’t offended by a bit of silliness. I hope He knows how thankful I am for Him, and how wonderful it is to be able to be cleansed by Him.

What are you thankful for today?