While sitting in yoga pants eating macaroni and cheese (hoping to get away with another few weeks of this before I have to start exercising again), and looking at my semi-dirty living room, I heard my husband in the kitchen and two daughters insisting on helping make coffee. Of course it didn’t go smoothly…we have kids. After I heard something spill, this was the simple, yet profound conversation between my 2 and 5 year old:
Beans – “Awww man!
Hadassah (aka Hads) – “It’s OK. Our life is messy.”
She then helped her little sister get the broom out while my husband (I realize I’ve only referred to him as the hot husband/blue-eyed, sexy bearded husband so far…it’s Kyle) attempted to let them exercise their independence, but ensure the mess was still cleaned up. (Oh look at us being Cleaver-ish…wipe that scene out of your minds! There’s nothing Cleaver-ish about us!)
As I sat there listening, I was struck by Hads’ wisdom. “It’s OK. Our life is messy.” She got that right. Our life is messy. I won’t go into detail explaining that as I am sure all you parents out there get it.
The part I need to be reminded of is that “it’s OK.” There is beauty in the mess. Consider the picture of Hadassah spinning. Overgrown weeds. Messy hair. Cookie crumbs. Lemonade splatters. Individual messes, that create a beautiful image when it’s put together on a free-spirited 5 year old.
From time to time, I tote around a small camera bag and attempt to take real life photos of my kids. I can’t bring myself to pay someone else to set them up all prim, proper and posed, when I would way rather have the natural messiness.
My life is messy, but it’s OK…because I serve a magnificent God who redeems. I’m sure most of you have heard the phrase beauty for ashes. Let’s give God our ashes… the pain, the sin, the wounds, the heartache, the noes, the frustration, the broken dreams, whatever it may be…and take the beauty…the grace, the freedom, the healing, the joy, the peace, the love, the redemption, the strength that only come from Him!
Have a good day friends!
The Spirit of God, the Master, is on me because God anointed me. He sent me to preach good news to the poor, heal the heartbroken announce freedom to all captives, pardon all prisoners. God sent me to announce the year of his grace- a celebration of God’s destruction of our enemies – to care for the needs of all who mourn in Zion, give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes, Messages of joy instead of news of doom, a praising heart instead of a languid spirit. Rename them “Oaks of Righteousness: planted by God to display his glory. THey’ll rebuild the old ruins, raise a new city out of the wreckage. They’ll start over on the ruined cities, take the rubble left behind and make it new. You’ll hire outsiders to herd your flocks and foreigners to work your fields, but you’ll have the title “Priests of God,” honored as ministers of our God. You’ll feast on the bounty of nations, you’ll bask in their glory. Because you got a double dose of trouble and more than your share of contempt, your inheritance in the land will be doubled and your joy go on forever. (Isaiah 61:1-7, MSG)