Residual

Cat smell: still old news. In fact, at this point it isn't even NEWS anymore! ;) So why am I still talking about it??? Well, it is a big part of my life-- fighting to get it OUT anyway. It's been an interesting (and sometimes painful) process over the last few weeks. I worked so hard to shampoo all the carpet, but the smell wasn't just living on the surface. It seems to be deep down... maybe even down to the subfloors... or in the walls.... =P And I just had to laugh thinking about it! I know that my sin is like that. Get the surface clean, and the stench works its way back up.

The other interesting thing I've noticed, is that my visitors haven't smelled it! This AMAZES me because the odor is so strong to my nose. (I've used phrases like "the cat smell assaulted me".) But it led to another correlation in my mind as I listened to the drone of the carpet cleaner-- again. As is most often the case, the people who are closest to a house (it's residents) see more of the flaws than those who are only there intermittently. I can seem pretty together to someone I only see once or twice a week-- or less. But the people who I see/talk to more often know my FLAWS, or better expressed-- more of the depth of my SIN. I need people who know me well to help me clean up the stink that I am often oblivious to!

We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.
Romans 6:6-13

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Galatians 6:1-2
 
For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
Romans 12:4-5