Donna J. Wright
At one of our 8:30 services, we had the Lord’s Supper. After the elements of juice and bread were served, there was a time of explanation and prayer by Bro. Charles. During the scriptural explanation, I noticed movement on the next aisle. An older lady, with arthritic hands, had lost feeling in her hand as she held her cup. The cup was dropped and there was a long stain of grape juice in the aisle. She was upset. It is relatively new carpet after all. As the stain was quietly cleaned up and the service continued, I thought more about that “stain.” Here is a space where we worship, where great effort was made to keep it nice and now there is a stain. The song we sang before communion had the line: “My sin had left a crimson stain and He washed it white as snow.” As I sat there, it made more sense now. Sin, even when we cover it up, or hide it, or rationalize it– does leave a stain. It does not go away despite our best effort. We need Jesus to wash us and clean us up. And he doesn’t just scrub us until there is just a faint outline of the sin. Nope. It is a perfect clean up. Its not there anymore. Sin is gone. We are completely restored and forgiven. I’m glad there is a stain there. It reminds me that the building is just a place. It is not a person in need of a Savior. It’s just a place where people can meet the Savior, hear the Word taught, worship, and serve. It is not about the building, the carpet or the chairs; it is about the Jesus that is a Savior for us. He takes us, stains and all, and cleans us like new. That stain reminds me of how wonderful forgiveness is in my life and for anyone who sits in a chair or walks down the aisle to choose Jesus. There have been many in the past and with God’s grace there will be many in the future. Some of those saved in this place are already before the throne right now. And, they aren’t worrying about the carpet stain I can almost guarantee that.
And when, before the throne, I stand in Him complete,
“Jesus died my soul to save,” My lips shall still repeat.
Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.
