cleanse me from within...

So I made a kind of strange, but interesting analogy and comparison the other day when I looked at my cell phone and my tennis shoes . I know, random right? Okay so I've had my phone for about a year now and what I noticed now is that it has several small little scratches and nicks (knicks?) on it. I remember that when I got my new phone I was so careful with it. I didn't want to drop it or get it wet, etc. And now obviously, things have changed a little bit. Then, looking at my tennis shoes...I see that they have some dirt and mud spots on them and the white parts are well...less white. I got them brand new this summer and even though they are tennis shoes I still didn't want to get them dirty, since they were nice and shiny and new. I hardly wanted to wear them outside especially if I knew it was rainy or muddy. Once again, things have obviously changed over a few months to where I'm not as concerned with this anymore. This isn't to point out that I should probably take better care of some of my things, but instead it is a unique spiritual connection I made...

It may not be true for others, but it is certainly true for me...

I know there have been times in my spiritual journey where I have felt "new", "clean", "reborn", etc. This could have been after receiving Reconciliation, or after a retreat, or even just after a simple, but profound spiritual experience. Many of times, I treat this new feeling with delicacy. I want to keep my soul feeling rejuvenated and refreshed, pure and clean. However, I think that I sometimes tend to treat it just like my cell phone or tennis shoes. I begin by being very careful, so not to harm my spirituality or my relationship with God. Then slowly, I might find myself realizing that a few "scratches" or a little "dirt" is okay. Truthfully, it is, because we are not perfect human beings. However, we should not accept it so easily as to turn from our spiritual high, because this develops habits. For me, it is sometimes a bad habit of spiritual laziness. I become less and less careful and get into a routine of a spirtual lifestyle that is not wholly fixed on my soul remaining clean. So I pray to search and find this deeper meaning of cleanliness. And then I ask for the strength to keep it within me, even through the times which I know I have failed.

"Purify my heart
Cleanse me from within
And make me holy.
Purify my heart
Cleanse me from my sin,
Deep within."