Fun Friday: Keepin it clean!

-A great big shout out to Chick-fil-A for helping me keep it clean while camping!

I talked to you about tent camping Joshua Tree National Park.

No running water. Dusty. Cold.

We climbed the dirt trail, rocks rolling beneath our feet, dust flying. Boulders sprawled all around us. Huge monoliths leaned in and looked like they teetered on the brink of tumble.

I glanced to my right and found a rock whale. Oh my gosh! He was breaching above the trail, his eye gazing down at me, mouth smiling.

I had to get a photo! I whirled around, grabbed my phone, took a step forward and…fell flat on my face.

I was so embarrassed.   I rolled over and gazed at the tear in my overalls. My hands were caked with dirt and gravel. The knee beneath the tear began to bleed. Humiliating.

I was glad the other hikers were over the hilltop. I didn’t want anyone to see this 61 year-old mess, all dirty with no water in sight. Of course I had no sanitizer with me. I fumbled in the pocket of my old woolen overalls. Aha! There are those leftover wipes from my last yummy chicken dinner at Chick-fil-A.

Yes! Score one for this hoarding Type A and Chick-fil-A! Package one helped me scrape the crud from my hands. Package 2 wiped away a bit of blood. I was good to go.

I’m grateful Chick-fil-A helped me keep it clean while camping, but what about that other muck in my life?

Camping can get pretty grimy, but that’s nothing compared to the mind-clogging dirt I accumulate in my day-to-day struggles. I’m talking about the negative self-talk, jealous tendencies, anger, impatience and bad attitudes. In other words, sometimes I stumble and need help to clean up.

That’s why I like God. He gives me the perfect prayer for cleanup:

“Create in me a clean heart, oh God, and renew a right spirit within me.”                                          – Psalm 51:10

I’m repeating this prayer over and over and stocking up on Chick-fil-A  for the rest of my journey.

Next up: “Ode to Overalls”.