The Unhygienic Journey: Day 4

Woah-oh, I'm halfway there! Woah-oh living on a prayer! Well friends, Bon-Jovi said it the best first, but I'm halfway through my challenge of abstaining from showering for 9 days! For those of you who have given me hugs and so much encouragement over the past few days, thank you so much for your friendly support! It means the world to me to know that I will still have good friends after this unhygienic journey is over. :) Here is today's update:

My hair feels like someone poured oil all over it. It continues to become darker and oilier than the previous day. I can honestly say that it is starting to drive me nuts and I am trying to resist the urge of shoving my head underneath every drinking fountain or body of water that I see while going about my day. :)

My skin remains the same. Still itchy and a bit blotchy in some places, but I wouldn't say that it has gotten any worse than yesterday.

I smell like my deodorant because I just had to reapply some again after a warm day under the sun. I've kept my sweating down to a bare minimum which is helping a lot during the day; however, that still doesn't mean that I don't have an urge to throw myself into the sweet-smelling cherry blossom trees lining many of the walkways around campus. For reals, friends.

My mood is excited! I am so excited that I've made it this far and right now I am writing this while two adorable high-school girls join Bianca and I in our room for a showing of High School Musical 3. :) Life doesn't get any better than this, friends...showering or not. :D

I think I was most impacted today about Phyllis LePeau's message at tonight's InterVarsity Large Group. She spoke out of John 13, where Jesus serves his disciples by washing their feet. It was kind of ironic that we spent the entire Large Group talking about how Jesus wants to wash us, including our own dirty feet when I am already dirty! I love Peter's response to Jesus after He says that if He doesn't wash Peter's feet, then Peter will have no part in Him. Peter replies, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!" I identify with Peter so much right now! This idea of washing was really poignant to me because I really would like to have my feet, hands and head washed right now; however, it made me think about how we need our spiritual selves clean too. We need Jesus to wash our spiritual selves first before we can even become really clean!

What filled me with so much joy last night though is knowing that although my physical body is dirty, my spiritual body has been washed by Jesus and His death on the cross. So the most important part of me has already been washed as white as snow and everything else...well, it's just not as important. When God looks at me, He sees the work of his washing--He sees my clean and pure white spiritual self and not my physically dirty self. And although everyone else sees my dirty self, the King of Kings and my Creator sees me for who I am in Him. A daughter who has her feet, hands and head white as snow and smelling like a dozen roses. Amen!

Tomorrow's scripture comes from the Psalms:

"But you, O Sovereign LORD, deal well with me for your name's sake; out of the goodness of your love, deliver me. For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me. " -Psalm 109: 21, 22

Thanks for all of your encouraging support friends, you are a blessing to me!