"My offenses will be sealed up in a bag; you will cover over my sin."
Job 14:17 NIV
Those who don't live in the south might be asking, 'What on earth is pine straw?'
So glad you asked!
Pine straw is the south's version of mulch. Forests in the southeast are filled with long-needled pine trees that yield an abundance of fluffy pine needles -- or pine straw -- which isn't eaten by termites like wood mulch.
But what do paint and pine straw have in common?
While readying our home for sale, we found these two miracles that cover blemishes and restore a fresh look to our house and yard.
A new coat of paint hides imperfections, scuff marks, and dings on our walls. Paint offers an updated color -- from that vibrant hue we loved years ago to a neutral tone that lets the decor take center stage.
We've painted walls, woodwork, ceilings, cabinets, and doors for a fresh, clean palette.
And pine straw -- just wow. Burying a matted mass of old mulch and dead leaves beneath fluffy pine straw covers a multitude of yard maintenance sins.
Our house and yard look so great that we almost don't want to move!
I can't help thinking how paint and pine straw clean up our homes the way God's love cleans up our lives.
When God sent his Son Jesus to die for our sins, the love in his sacrifice covered our iniquity and ugliness to make us new and clean in God's eyes.
He buried our scuff marks and dead leaves with his love. While our sinful nature lurks underneath, the more often we allow his love to cover us, the cleaner and healthier we will be.
As the frequency of applying paint and pine straw determines the cleanliness of our homes, the frequency of applying God's love to our lives determines the cleanliness of our hearts.
When our hearts are filled with his love, our lives and relationships become healthy and thrive.
Let's apply God's love to our lives and share with those around us every day.
"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins."
1 Peter 4:8 NIV