Infestation

This blog has no picture, for which you will be grateful as you start reading. Over the last year I have been stretched by a new experience in my life- cockroaches. We started to notice them after returning from CA last summer and I have made it my mission to banish them from our house. After poison, traps, covering all drains, and countless bottles of bleach- I have still failed. Most Hong Kongers accept these critters as part of living in a cramped city in a sub- tropical climate (I'm feeling the need to justify that I am normal) but I just can't get used to them. I still squeal and feel uneasy every time I see one scurry away (and I am starting to scare Josiah with my theatrics).

I finally have hired professionals to take over. They assessed that we indeed have a problem and found a nest under the oven. They offered to show me (I declined). I also declined their estimate of how many they think are in our house- I like to sleep at night. What surprised me however was their discovery that we also have termites eating our wood floors and baseboards (the walls are concrete). It turns out our neighbors just sprayed for termites last month. So, while we are in the states next week men will be spaying and fogging the life out of the little suckers. Can't wait!!

All of this ickiness has made me think of sin. I believe Satan is real and he is the prince of lies. He desires to kill and destroy. Sin is like an infestation of cockroaches. It is disgusting. It is repulsive to God. Like my little situation, we cannot get rid of sin on our own. Some sin, like the termites, we don't even know is there! We cannot cleanse ourselves, regardless of our efforts. If we have a victory in our own strength and squash one cockroach, there are still hundreds lurching out of sight. Praise Jesus for his cleansing power. For removing sin and clothing us in righteousness. When Jesus sees me he sees no icky sin- but the resurrected Christ living in me. That is the most freeing feeling in the world.