Until the Light Hits It

A few years ago, we updated our “vintage 70’s style” linoleum flooring with luxury vinyl plank. (Okay, the flooring wasn’t really from the 70’s, but it definitely had that flair. We bought the house from my grandma who built it new in the 80’s and had a strong 70’s-style preference in flooring.) At the time, it felt like such an upgrade—cleaner, brighter, and definitely more our style.

One thing I’ve really come to appreciate about this flooring is how well it camouflages dirt. The brown tones do a pretty good job of hiding the everyday mess—crumbs from busy mornings, dust from kids running in and out, muddy footprints from life happening. At a quick glance, the floors can look pretty clean.

That is…until the light shines on them.

When the morning sun hits just right, suddenly every speck of dust, every smudge, and every little toe print shows up. What looked clean enough in the shadows gets exposed in the light.

That feels a lot like us.

From the outside, our lives can look pretty put together. We stay busy, keep up with responsibilities, smile when we need to, and make things look fine. We get good at letting things blend in—impatience, pride, bitterness, fear, resentment, control. We tell ourselves it’s not that noticeable, or maybe that it’s just part of life.

But then the Son shines.

Jesus has a way of revealing what we would rather keep hidden. Not to shame us, but to grow us. His light exposes the places that still need to be dealt with.

Search me, God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 139:23–24

That verse is a hard prayer to pray because it asks God to show us what we would rather ignore. It invites Him into the places we would rather keep hidden.

The challenge this week: don’t ignore what the light reveals.

When God nudges your heart about something, pay attention. Maybe it’s your attitude. Maybe it’s a relationship that needs repair. Maybe it’s stress that has turned into control, or hurt that has turned into bitterness. Whatever it is, don’t just let it sit there because it blends in well.

Deal with it.

Let God do the cleaning instead of just adjusting the lighting so you don’t have to see it.

I still like my floors, but they do need to be cleaned. Just because the dirt blends in doesn’t mean I should leave it there.

The same is true for us.

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Want the full story?

You can find a few extra details about my vintage flooring in this week's podcast episode.

About Make Monday Matter

Make Monday Matter is my weekly devotional where I share reflections on faith, running, and the small ways God shows up in everyday life.