This last Sunday I went outside to wash my car only to be bombarded by the neighborhood kids. There are two in particular that always want to see my dog, follow me into my garage when I pull in after work and are always picking leaves off my tree. They are typical kids. I usually tell them I am too busy to throw a ball or let them scare my dog half to death but this time I asked them if they would like to wash my car with me. They enthusiastically replied, "Sure!" So I handed them each a sponge and we went for it. They ran around the car with their sponge picking certain spots on the doors and trunk to wash while missing the majority of the dirt on the car. I followed them around my car and washed the large areas they missed. Rather then scolding them and telling them to go home because they were only causing me to do more work I actually enjoyed myself. It was fun to do a project with the neighborhood kids and see them laughing and throwing sponges at each other. At one point one of the kids squeezed out their dirty sponge on my head. They probably made the day longer and we didn't have the most efficient car washing day but I saw the heart of God.
How often do we run around in life trying to do things for God but really just mess it up and not do a great job. Our best attempts at doing good fall short of accomplishing what God has in mind. But like a great Father he follows behind us and with a big grin washes the spots we miss. He is really in it for the relationship anyways. He finds delight in us enjoying doing things with Him even if we mess it all up which we have a tendency to do. I hope you are encouraged as I was that God is following behind you with a big grin, getting a kick out of cleaning up your messes. He values us being a part that He is willing to take more time and not be as effective as He could be without us. He loves us so much and He wants us to live by faith and risk for Him and trust that he'll clean up any messes we make.


