The day my trash is picked up changed from Monday to Friday. I didn’t think it would be a big deal but what a difference having trash roll out on a Sunday to start the week was to having to remember to take it out on a Thursday night as I am winding down the week and prepping for the weekend. I had to have “Alexa” remind me after failing to remember numerous times. At first it wasn’t a big deal. My bin usually isn’t over flowing and I can roll it out next week. Then I forgot the following week. I move the trash from inside to outside but it is still mine until I get it hauled away.Two weeks of trash in a bin outdoors, I almost keeled over every time I had to open the lid to add more trash. I vowed I was not going to be Shel Silverstein’s Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout who would not take the garbage out. It wasn’t that I wouldn’t, I just would forget because I pushed it aside.

I started thinking about this in regards to my prayer life. Confession is to be a part of prayer but in all honesty, I can often use a blanket statement to God, asking Him to forgive me for my sins while thinking, I hadn’t done anything THAT bad. When I have students say they’re sorry for things they did, they spend what feels like hours denying, defending or justifying their behaviors. After what feels like hours, meek “sorry” fall from their lips. The apology came but the behavior will most likely arise sooner than later. A genuine confession or even asking to shed light on those things I need to ask forgiveness. Romans 10:9 tells confess with your heart and believe Jesus died and rose you will receive. Putting those little things aside build up and if they are not confessed out, they build up and when someone comes along, they are in the presence of the stench rather than His love and grace. There’s things I know need forgiveness, things I think aren’t a big deal and others that I need the Lord to shed some light upon in order to be who He wants me to be. All are forgiven by His grace, I just have to remember to take the trash out.