Tag: messy life

I failed finger-painting in kindergarten.  Spaghetti sauce splatters on my stove-top bug me. Crumbs on the floor following cornbread at dinner make me go “eew!”

And, yet, God gave me kids.

Maybe He wanted to teach me some things?  Just maybe.

Living is a messy thing.  As much as I’d like it to be nice and tidy, every thought, emotion and lesson learned properly categorized and tucked away neatly, that’s just not the way it is.  And the mess isn’t actually a BAD thing at all!  It just means we’re real.

My kiddos know their momma loves things neat (which I greatly appreciate!)  So, it was pretty hilarious to see their faces when I suggested they go make a mud pit in the back yard yesterday. Their faces that basically screamed, “WHAT?!?  Are you serious?!?”  And off they went!

It’s fabulous to see what two kids can do with several pitchers of water, 9 square-feet of dirt and a toddler slide!  While pulling out my camera, I shoved aside that part of me that was starting to get itchy at the sight of splattering mud, and chose to laugh along and catalog a beautifully messy moment!  Some tension fell away in that laughter, sharing in their creative, muddy delight.

I love how Jesus doesn’t tell me to clean up my mess first before He dives into my life feet first! He’s not scared of a little mud.  He’s not standing on the outside worrying His lip, concerned that my mess will get all over the place.  It’s okay…He gets it.  He gets the ups and downs and hurts and joys.  It’s a real life to be lived after all, not a neatly organized file to tuck away.

So, today, I’m not just inviting Jesus to sit in my living room that I’ve dashed about and cleaned up for Him…I’m inviting Him out back to the mud-pit…How about you?