A Picture of God's Goodness

By Marc McKenna

February 2009

Earlier on this week I was in my prayer closet. During this time I began to ponder just how wonderful the Holy Spirit is in His relationship with us and how He cleanses us. It's always a dirty job trying to clean something up after it has become filthy from the world, and I just became so grateful for the time he spends with me 'rolling up His sleeves' and taking the time and patience to clean up all my spots and blemishe Bunch-of-keys

s.

Then, this morning, as I was dropping one of the kids off at school, a young mum had dropped her keys down the grid just outside the school gates. She seemed distressed as there was not much she could do without her keys.

Just then a man (a father), who was not dressed in finery like most of us are, began to help. He lifted up the cast iron grid cover and put it to one side. Not bothered by the fact that it was wet and cold, started to roll up his sleeves. He got down into the gutter on one knee, reached down into the cold murky water and began to feel for the lost keys.

Realising he was going to have to go deeper, without saying much or complaining of the conditions, he grabbed an old branch from a nearby tree and began to hook up all the winter leaves and sediment that had collected deep in the drain. People that passed by began to shudder as they smelled what they could see he was producing from the drain.

Still he persisted. I stopped and watched to see when the keys would appear. By this time, all the other parents had hurried away to attend to the business of the day.

Finally, after heaps and heaps of leaves, we saw the silver glint of the keys and the treasure had been found!

I have to admit that i would not have done what this quiet man did today. I was too clean. Oh that we would not give up in the pursuit of holiness. Even when there is no evidence of our own grace, the Holy Spirit is willing to take the time to dig for it.

Bless His Glorious name. I continue to pray for the harvest (and harvesters)! I am also praying for this man from now on. God is looking for people like him!