Aug
22
2016
The Shower Curtain Liner
Posted in Salvation Leave a comment
It was time to change the shower curtain liner in our hall bathroom.
It has to be changed periodically.
I made a mental note to do that when my daughter went back to college.
I always keep spare liners in my linen closet.
Our master bathroom has a glass shower door.
The two other bathrooms upstairs have shower curtains.
I wanted to change the liner the day I cleaned that bathroom.
However, I had already mopped the floors and needed to wait until they were dry.
Days passed and I remembered that I never got around to replacing the liner.
It was time.
First, I had to take off the decorative shower curtain.
Then I had to remove the liner that was underneath.
I lifted my arms above my head to unhook both curtains.
First one, then the other.
I realized halfway through the job, my arms were getting tired.
My arms had been up in the air trying to unhook a dozen stubborn shower hooks.
I brought my arms down and gave them a little shake.
I lifted them up again to continue the job.
I have hand weights.
I can do various exercises with many repetitions.
This was different.
This job required my arms to be in the air for a while.
I was amazed at how quickly our bodies can fatigue.
I was amazed that simply having arms extended for a while was tiring.
I remember my oldest daughter talking about her body pump class at the gym.
The class is for men and women but her class is mostly women.
She told me about one day after work when a couple of men came to the class.
Weights are used; however, it is the repetitions and not the amount of weight that matters.
She told me how the men loaded their small barbell with a lot more weight than the women.
Mom, I knew that they would be dying, and they were! She said with a twinkle in her eye.
It isn’t about the amount of weight; its about doing the movement over and over.
They were so tired.
I thought of her words as I was changing the shower curtain liner.
As my arms fatigued, I thought of my daughter’s body pump class.
As my arms grew tired, I thought of Jesus.
I really thought of Jesus.
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest. Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises. In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads. “He trusts in the Lord,” they say, “let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.” Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast. From birth I was cast on you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God. Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. Roaring lions that tear their prey open their mouths wide against me. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me. My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet. All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment. But you , O Lord, be not far off, O my strength, come quickly to help me.
(Psalm 22:1-19)
I only had my arms above my head for a short time and they got tired.
I was able to bring my arms down and gave them a shake.
Jesus could not do that.
Jesus could not escape the pain that shot through his arms from the nails in His wrist.
Jesus is fully God and fully man.
Jesus could have come down from the cross at any moment.
If Jesus had come down from the cross, we would still be in our sin.
We have salvation through Jesus because of His death and resurrection.
Jesus withstood the excruciating pain so we would never have to experience it.
Jesus died the death that was meant for us.
Jesus, the sinless Lamb of God, suffered in our place.
Jesus rose again in order to defeat death.
If my arms hurt for the short time I was replacing the shower liner, imagine Jesus’ pain.
We can take breaks when we are tired or overwhelmed with the task before us.
Jesus, fully God and fully man, willingly suffered in order to save us.
I cannot imagine His pain on my behalf.
Sweet Lord Jesus, You took my sin on You as You hung on the cross. Your received the suffering that was meant for me. I deserved the wrath of God for my sin. You did not. You never sinned. When I look to You in faith, You take away my sin and give me Your righteousness. Now when God the Father looks at me, He sees You. I am accepted. At any moment, You could have come down from that cross to end Your suffering. You chose to stay on the cross and be an acceptable sin offering to the Father. How grateful I am. How very much I love You. Thank you for saving me through Your death and resurrection. Thank You for dying in my place. In Your precious name. Amen.
I never thought that changing a shower curtain liner would remind me of my salvation in Christ.
I am so glad that it did.
It is only a glimpse of what Jesus went through so we could be saved.
It is a glimpse that means everything.
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