I stood looking at the light blue carpet in that massive house. We had been caretaking the mansion for almost a year. That carpet dreadfully needed to be cleaned; but once again, there were no funds. This would never do! The doctor had generously opened up his house to me and my three teenagers. We had magnificently kept the yards in pristine condition, and the house was always clean … but the carpet! The house had been sold, and it was time for my little family to move on.
The carpet! Lord! Please send financing so that I can have this huge expanse of carpet cleaned! I got down on my knees. “Lord, please help me. I can’t leave the carpet in this condition!”
That evening there was a ring at the doorbell.
A young man with a high-end, high-tech, carpet cleaner stood smiling at me. I stared at him rather dumbly. He explained with great enthusiasm that he would like to show me how this incredible carpet cleaner performed. He was selling them.
My stomach tightened. Embarrassed, I told him that I was sure it was great; but I couldn’t deceive him into thinking that his efforts would result in a sale. He assured me that he got paid by the hour from the company, to showcase their equipment; and he would really love to clean the carpet!
I let him in.
For the next 3-4 hours he cleaned that massively large carpet, with his formidable carpet cleaner. He looked soooo tired! This was a gigantic expanse of square footage and that machine was doing a stellar job! So was he!
I gave him some dinner and water; the best I could do.
After he left, I stared across that colossal carpet and just praised God for the incredible way that He works to perform the impossible things that we can’t do.
God’s steadfast love, mercy, and grace towards his people is filled with covenant loyalty and unmerited kindness. "You, O Lord, will not withhold Your compassion from me; Your lovingkindness and Your truth will continually preserve me. Psalm 40:11