The stench of death

Soap suds covered the dirty concrete floor. With a broom she scrubbed, then a mop she wiped. Bleach, soap, whatever she could find. She was attempting to wash away the smell.
L's precious mom P fought for her life. From Monday through Friday P lay in a hospital bed until she breathed her last.
In typical Dominican/Haitian fashion, the body was then transported from the hospital to her home, a cheap coffin was purchased and the following morning, P was laid to rest.

It all seemed to happen so fast, but I can't get the image of L out of my head. Scrubbing the floor where her mother's lifeless body once lay. Desperate to eliminate the stench of death.

My heart aches for L and her loss. Please pray for her!

But as we think on death and the filth that it encompasses, GOD pricks my heart...

Hasn't GOD called us to help in this endevour of scrubbing away the stench of death?

We were once DEAD in our trangressions. We were dry bones. Lifeless. Helpless. In need of a Saviour!

Then like a KNIGHT in shining armour, the KING of Kings gave us LIFE. The old has passed away! We are made new.

But sometimes.... We leave the floors the way they are. Thankful for a ticket to Heaven, but pretty sure GOD will accept us as we are. GOD is LOVE, isn't HE?

Yes. Yes HE is!

And in that love... so incredible, incomprehensible, unfathomable... HE has called us to be holy because HE is holy.

This topic has been so prominente in our youth group and church lately as our teens are struggling with this issue. Each year the Dominican has a series of festivals in many towns across the country. They are called "Patronales." A celebration of drunkeness and idol worship. The teens so desperatly want to go!

All their friends are going.
It's not so bad after all.
We're just party poopers.

But they don't see us on our hands and knees, scrubbing the stench. Desperate to show them that playing with darkness brings destruction.

"Sarah, it's GOD's job to change me!!!!"
Yes, HE continues to mold me everyday, but look at this gem of a verse that we studied at church yesterday...

"Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of GOD."

I'm not 100% why God led me to share this today. I know my heart breaks for L... But it also breaks for the young people who are so desperatly trying to fit in with the walking dead around them.

We are called to be an example.
May we continue to scrub the stench of death from our own lives.

PRAY:
For camp that is coming up in about a month.

For financial support so we can continue serving here in the Dominican
Click here to see how - https://scoresponsor.org/missionaries-staff/shop/lara-robersy-sarah/

For our teens as many of them struggle in their walk when they are out of school and have more time on their hands.

For our own walk that we might stay faithful in our walk with HIM.