Calgon, Take Me Away

Remember that vintage commercial “Calgon, take me away?” The commercial shows an irritated woman with a newsreel playing in her head of her plight: the traffic piling up, the boss yelling, the baby crying, and the dog barking. She exclaims: “That does it! Calgon, take me away!” The next scene is of her in a soothing, bubble-filled tub. The narrator speaks: “Lose your cares in the luxury of a Calgon bath. Calgon softens the water to leave skin feeling silky smooth as it lifts your spirit. The soft, luxurious, fragrant world of Calgon.” And with a smile on her face, the woman says: “I love it!” And the narrator finishes with: “Pamper yourself with a Calgon bath. Lose yourself in luxury.” I was amused as I watched the commercial again online. This may be TMI (too much info), but I have never taken a bath in this home though it has a lovely garden tub separate from the shower. I’m a “shower” kind-of-girl. I’d like to say in my prim and proper Christian-ese words: “I don’t need a Calgon bath to take me away from stress, worry, concern, and weariness. I’ve got Jesus!” But let’s be real. In the nitty gritty of life – whether you have two high energy children like I did who seemed to thrive on torturing each other or a dog that peed yet again on the carpet or a boss who gave me another task though I was already loaded up with a week’s pile of work or a family crisis or another stress and concern like a MOVE across the state that I am involved in right now – we DO need stress-relief! In Mark 6, we read that the apostles gathered around Jesus, and told Him all that they had done and taught that day. I think they were actually saying “Calgon, rather, ‘Lord, take us away!’ because they were weary and needed rest. And Jesus’ response? “He said to them, ‘Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves.” Jesus craved deserted places but rarely found them because He was always being pursued by the crowds who had big-time needs. Just imagine – leprosy, demon-possessed children, blind, lame, poor, needy, and even dead children. I think about us and our pampered and blessed lives, but God doesn’t say “Shame on you” for our whining and complaining about our stuff being too much to bear. He takes us by the hand and says to us, like He said to the disciples: “Come away with Me!” “Come to me all you who are weary and heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) THAT is the “Calgon” experience we can have 24/7 each day. An added bonus to spending time with Him, in conversation with Him and in reading His Word to revive and thrive, is this scripture that tells us to "put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.” (Isaiah 61:3) That scripture of itself just might be our “Calgon, take me away” experience. Topping it all off with putting on a garment of praise that will remove the spirit of heaviness and frustration and weariness. Dear JESUS, thank You for your abundant grace. Thank you, that at a moment’s notice, I can steal away to a “secret place” with You and be refreshed, revived, and restored. I lose my cares in the luxury of your amazing grace and my spirit is lifted. I lose my cares in YOU! Amen!