Every morning I get the treat of watching a dozen or so hummingbirds take their daily bath in my fountain.  

Sometimes they come in one by one and other times there may be six bathing at the same time. They take quite a bit of time getting clean, they splish and splash, water flying everywhere.  Once clean, they zip up to the nearest tree to fluff and dry.

It’s a daily event which begs the question, “Just how dirty can a tiny bird get in one day?”  These beautiful tiny creatures fly around from flower to flower, feeder to feeder, and then up into the oak trees.  You wouldn’t think they would get very dirty each day but when you consider their size, a little dust or dirt on their wings makes a big difference and can weigh them down.  So, they need a daily washing to free up their wings so they can zoom around and do what they were created to do.

We too, need a daily cleansing.  Maybe not a bath to wash off the dirt of the day but cleansing just the same.  When Jesus taught us to pray in Matthew, Chapter 6, He included ‘forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us’.  Bringing our daily shortcomings before the Lord, asking for forgiveness, frees up our ‘wings’ to go out into the new day with a fresh start.  Yes, when Christ died on the cross He took all of our sins, forever, once and for all. But since we continue to sin, we need to bring it before the Lord and ask for forgiveness daily because Satan loves to use our sins against us, to remind us of our shortcomings and fill us with guilt and shame.  

With a fresh start each day, splish-splashing in the love of Christ and His merciful forgiveness, we can go out and do what we were created to do.  We can’t afford to be weighted down with unconfessed sin.

Now the mornings have two treats, the joy of watching hummingbirds bathe and the joy of meeting with Jesus for my morning shower of forgiveness and love.

Take the time and meet Christ at the fountain each morning and be cleansed and refreshed.