God can bless us, even in our grumbling!

    I took on my most dreaded household task today:  scrubbing the master bath shower. 

    No matter how often I clean it, it still looks horrible (and it looked this way when we bought our house).  Yes, I've tried every natural cleaning idea I can find.  I've tried a ton of store products, too; even industrial strength shower cleaning products.  I've tried spraying it every day after using it, in order to prevent grime and build-up.  In my desperation, I've even sprayed bleach on that tile.  :(

    It's also a tough shower to clean, because it's wheelchair accessible.  That means that there is no ledge or barrier between the floor of the shower and the floor of our bathroom. 

    Water generally gets everywhere.  :(

    Usually, my rotator cuff area in my right shoulder starts killing me after two hours of scrubbing so that it's hard to sleep all night. Ibuprofen would ease the pain, but my stomach can't tolerate that medication, so I suffer.

    But today was the day for deep cleaning the shower.  As I worked and scrubbed away, I began to grumble in my mind, and even thought the words, "I hate this shower."  The tiny one-inch tiles on the floor have needed the grout to be replaced about 20 years ago due to a number of years of neglect from tenants who rented this house.

    Since my husband has assured me that redoing the master bath will be his last project on our house, I don't expect it to be remodeled anytime soon.

    "I hate this shower." 

    I'm surprised this thought even came into my mind while scrubbing away. 

    For years and years now, ever since my girls were tiny tots, I have made a conscious effort to not use the word "hate" except when referring to Satan and evil.

    I admit it.  I allowed myself to mull on that thought for a few minutes.  Shame-shame-shame.

    Then, I began to pray.  "Jesus, help me to be grateful for this shower, even though it is so difficult to clean and causes me pain.  I don't want to hate this shower anymore!"

    After that, I began to think of other showers I've seen or used, that were far less pleasant than this tough-to-clean shower of mine.  (While I haven't actually used these specific showers, below, you know what I mean.)

    And I began to realize that we are very blessed here in the United States to even have two showers.

    Much of the world's population doesn't have access to even one shower - and if they have a shower, it won't look as nice as mine, the one I was grumbling about.

    Even though I'd love my shower to look like this, above, I'm going to choose to be grateful for the shower that we already have, despite all its flaws. 

    It's not going to be easy.  Satan is going to try to trip me up and cause me to think negative, unkind thoughts about my shower.  But I'm just gonna pray those thoughts away, like I did today.

    You know what?  I waited all evening for my right shoulder to begin pounding with pain.  It never did!

    Thank you, Lord Jesus, for loving us when we are unlovely.  Even as unlovely as a dirty, "I-Need-To-Be-Remodeled" shower.

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