My Mess

Life gets messy. Life gets hard. Sometimes it's not fair and it hurts - a lot. Sometimes we make bad choices and have to deal with the natural consequences. At other times, we are innocents that are impacted by the poor choices of others; and then there are things that just happen for no understandable reason at all. When life begins to crumble, we search. People are not looking for cookie cutter answers. Fortune cookie feel good sayings don't comfort a heart that is aching or a family that is close to breaking. Big, complex, and painful problems rarely have quick, easy and painless solutions.

I love the Bible. But sometimes what I need to hear isn't another retelling of a great event like - the parting of the Red Sea. There are days when what I need to hear is how God parted a "Red Sea" in the life of someone I know. A REAL GOD, WHO IS REALLY INVESTED AND INVOLVED and MAKING CHANGES IN THE LIVES OF REAL PEOPLE I KNOW RIGHT NOW.

1 John 1:1-4   New International Version (NIV)

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched —this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.  The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.  We write this to make our joy complete.

I love this passage!

"That which was from the beinning" I let my mind just sit there for a minute. God always is, always has been and always will be. "Which we have heard...seen with our eyes...looked at...and touched." It's personal, first hand knowledge. "we proclaim to you the eternal life...what we have seen and heard, so that you may fave fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and His son Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete" Good news is news that is shared.  When I find a good sale I text all my best girl friends; papers with an A+ get hung on the fridge; I send out announcements for births, engagements & marriages.  All of that is good. What God has done for me is great! He delieved me from sin. He removed my guilt and shame. He healed what was broken. He restored what was lost. He filled in my soul the emptyness than only HE could fully and competely fill.

It isn't magic. The problems are still there, and the heart ache too. Sometimes I still don't know what to do next, or say next. There are days when I feel like things can't get harder, like I just can't do, or be, or handle one more thing. Sometimes I am tired, and numb, completed worn out, rung out and spent. There is conflict every way I turn and I cannot make it better - peacekeep is my name and walking a tightrope is my game. On days like these I need to spend time with 1John 1 people, and I need to remember the times when God has held my hand and carried me like only a daddy can. God is so much bigger than all my junk, and with Him there is always hope.

Now I need to listen to what my friend John says, and I need to tell people what my God has done for me. Not a story from a long time ago, but a page from my life. Yep, sometimes it is still messy, but God is faithful and he can handle my mess.