The Sponges           There are 5 sponges laying on your kitchen counter top.  Each member of your family has been cleaning up different areas of your home, but all the sponges look the same.  You are curious as to what was cleaned in your home, but you can't tell by looking...  they all look the same...  so what do you do?           You squeeze each sponge to see what comes out.  As you squeeze the first sponge, you see that cola comes out, and so you decide that someone cleaned the kitchen with that one.           Upon squeezing the second sponge, you find tub and tile cleaner  -  that one was used to clean the bathroom.           Next, in the third sponge, you find motor oil  -  hubby was cleaning the garage!           In the fourth sponge, baby powder puffs out when it is squeezed  -  yep, the baby's nursery was done with that one!           And finally, in the last one is floor wax  -  that was the one you used on the hall floor!           As you lay the last one down, you look again at their similarity  -  and they all look the same until they're squeezed.  Christians are the same way.  As life squeezes us, different things come out  –  anger from one, a need for revenge from another, tears from one, remorse from yet another  –  also greed, untruth, lust  -  and finally, from one saint, pours forth the love of Christ.           Just like the sponge, we can only squeeze out what is put in  –  stay in the Word daily, and be in continuous prayer, so that when life puts the squeeze on you  (and it WILL),  Jesus, and Jesus ALONE will shine forth from you! From "The Daily Encourager" Unknown Author Song is "Center of My Heart". Used with permission.