In my mid-twenties I took a job selling Kirby vacuum cleaners. It ranks right up there with being one of the craziest things I have ever done. Every morning I linked up with the rest of the sales force in the basement of the Kirby store for a little pep rally. We would sing the Kirby anthem (and yes, they actually have one), pump ourselves up for victory with a few Kirby cheers, map out our territory and hit the road.

I sold one vacuum in my short three day stay with the company before I realized I wasn’t cut out to be a door-to-door sales person. Even though my Kirby employment was short lived there was one sales tactic never forgotten. It was the seal-the-deal, black cloth strategy.

If there was no sale after the free gift of knives, or cleaning every square inch of floor and furniture in their home, it was time to bring out the deal clincher, the black cloth.

The black cloth was placed over the bottom of the vacuum bag so customers could clearly see everything this robust machine could pick up. Clean sheets and pretty bed covers where pulled from one corner of the bed as the hand-held vacuum scanned the mattress. Dirt, dead skin and dust mites began to collect on the black cloth and it wasn’t a pretty sight.  The customer’s reaction was usually one of disgust coupled with shame. The black cloth revealed all the hidden dirt beneath the bedcovers.

It was at this point, the customer realized they needed to sign on the dotted line and claim ownership to a new Kirby vacuum cleaner if they wanted to remove the debris found on the black cloth.

How dirty is your mattress?

If God flipped back the outer coverings of your life, what would the black cloth reveal? Are you sleeping with unclean things? Are you bedding with sin?

Jesus stands ready to vacuum away the sins on the black cloth of your life. You only need to sign on the dotted line of salvation and redemption. The contract requires no payment other than the surrender of your sins (your dirty mattress).