• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

Tricia Goyer HomepageTricia Goyer

Living God’s Word One Step at a Time

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • About
    • My Testimony
    • Online Archives
    • My Family
    • Professional Bio
    • Adoption
    • Homeschooling
    • Mentoring
    • Speaking
    • Close
  • Blog
  • Courses
  • Books
  • Media
  • Podcast
  • Write that Book
  • Shop
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Community / Spring Cleaning for the Soul | Guest Post by Liz Curtis Higgs

March 27, 2014 by Tricia Goyer 5 Comments

Spring Cleaning for the Soul | Guest Post by Liz Curtis Higgs

 Mother and daughter with laundry on clothesline

Spring Cleaning for the Soul


Here’s what I love about stories: They let us step inside someone else’s shoes and, in the process, take an unexpected journey of our own.

COVER for Mercy Like Sunlight 300x200In my new novella, Mercy Like Sunlight, Mary Margaret Delaney is coming out of a long season of depression and discouragement, only to find her neglected house needs a lot more than just a spring cleaning. When the mother of her pastor offers to help, Mary is afraid of what the woman might discover. And how she might respond. Here’s an excerpt:


Mercy Like Sunlight Excerpt

 

Mary couldn’t think of the last season—the last year—her three-story house was truly cleaned from top to bottom. “Is that what Jake said it needed?” Mary looked at Pastor Jake, then at his mother, feeling her insides turning into one huge knot. “A simple afternoon of spring cleaning. Is that what you’re expecting?”

“No, not at all.” Jake’s mother clasped her hands behind her back, her expression growing more serious. “Jake gave me a pretty clear picture of what you’re up against.” She glanced at her son. “I hope you don’t mind, Mary Margaret. He meant no harm by telling me. Sometimes we have to get rid of the old things in our lives to make room for the new. Is that how you see it?”

“What I see . . . ,” Mary began, her voice shaking in earnest now. “What I see is a house full of heaven-only-knows-what. Honestly, I don’t even remember buying most of it or know where it came from.” She looked at the toes of her shoes, dropping her voice to a shame-filled whisper. “Or how I paid for it. If I paid for it. Or what I thought I was going to do with it all.”

She looked up again, certain she would find pity in their eyes. Or loathing. Or disgust.

It was none of those things. It was mercy.

Get a sneak peek of @LizCurtisHiggs’ new ebook on @TriciaGoyer’s blog!

Click To Tweet


When we least expect it or even deserve it, God delivers mercy to our doorstep, often through the eyes, hands, and hearts of those who know us best.

A friend offers a listening ear, with no trace of judgment. 
A coworker covers for us, instead of exposing our weakness. 
A spouse quietly holds us close, rather than demanding an explanation.
 A child whispers “I love you, Mommy,” right when we’ve decided we are the worst mother ever.

Sometimes the hardest part is accepting those expressions of mercy. We’re more comfortable beating ourselves up, so it’s difficult to take down our defenses. We don’t feel worthy of forgiveness, so we push that precious gift away.


Steps You can Take

Here are three steps to take today to embrace the mercy God offers.

1. Remind yourself that God alone is good and perfect. Everybody on the planet is in the same shoes you are—in need of forgiveness, longing for a fresh start. So, lay aside your pride and your false humility as well, and let the Lord who loves you shower you with his grace. He wants you to live in freedom. Really. He does.

2. Resist the urge to walk around covered in shame. When God extends mercy to you, he doesn’t want to add to your shame—he wants to remove it. So, when you ‘re tempted to speak words of shame and self-condemnation—“I never do this good thing” or “I shouldn’t do that bad thing”—say instead, “I’m so grateful for all God has done for me.” Soon, you’ll be too busy thinking about God’s blessings to dwell on your own blunders.

3. Look for opportunities to extend mercy to others. One of the great things about forgiveness is the boundless supply. After you’ve embraced God’s mercy and grace, you can open your arms and share it with others, without the fear of losing what God has given you. In fact, your understanding of mercy will increase each time you give it away. Think of someone you know who needs to hear this assurance: “No matter what you’ve been through, God loves you.”

Spring clean your soul and embrace the mercy God offers you! @Triciagoyer @LizCurtisHiggs

Click To Tweet


Daily Prayer


Heavenly Father,

Your Word tells us you are a gracious and merciful God, that you freely pardon those who seek you. We’re coming to you today—again, still—with our broken hearts in our hands, in need of the healing touch of your mercy and forgiveness. Thank you for offering it so generously and so abundantly.

In the name of your Son, Jesus, amen.


About Liz Curtis Higgs

LCH SQ Headshot 02 300
Liz Curtis Higgs is the author of more than 30 books, with 4.5 million copies in print, including her nonfiction bestseller, Bad Girls of the Bible, and her novel based on the biblical story of Ruth, Mine Is the Night, a New York Times bestseller. Her latest release, Mercy Like Sunlight, is an eBook exclusive. Liz also has a popular online Bible study at her blog. Connect with Liz on Facebook and Twitter!

Filed Under: Community, faith, friends, guest post, salvation Tagged With: ebook, guest post, Liz Curtis Higgs, novella, spring clean, spring cleaning


Are you new here? You might want to subscribe to my newsletter, check out my podcast, or follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, or Instagram.
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” Read full privacy policy here.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kay Martinez says

    March 27, 2014 at 9:19 am

    Beautiful, just beautiful! Such truth written in such a lovely way. Mercy Like Sunlight is at the top of my wishlist & I look forward to reading it very soon. Thanks for starting my day off so well, Liz & Tricia.

    Reply
  2. tammy cordery says

    March 27, 2014 at 11:52 am

    How do you write so many great books in such little time.

    Reply
  3. Andrea Cox says

    March 27, 2014 at 11:59 am

    Liz, this glimpse into your novella is intriguing. Is it available for purchase now? Thanks for sharing a peek at this story today!

    Blessings,
    Andrea

    Proofreader/Writer
    writingtoinspire.blogspot.com

    Reply
  4. Elizabeth M. Fithian says

    March 28, 2014 at 3:23 am

    What wonderful encouragement…. Thank you Dear Liz <3

    Reply
  5. Charles says

    May 21, 2015 at 9:22 am

    Beautifully written Liz!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

© Tricia Goyer | Privacy Policy

Made with by SA Designs