God answers the mess of life with one word–grace. ~Max Lucado
While RB willingly cleans up my messes, sometimes our messes are far beyond any human clean-up projects. Broken relationships, financial chaos, addictions, dream deaths – and the list goes on. Often these messes are not even of our making. We sit there in the slicing shards of our life, feeling each drop of blood hit our soul. We’re sad, angry, and sometimes bitter. How could life get so mixed up – so messy? We try to pick up the pieces, but each one cuts our fingers, the blood turns to darkness and slowly shrouds us completely.
There’s only one who can enter the shards, lift us out, and clean up our mess. Only one who will brush the glass dust from our soul. Only one can, and He offers grace. We cannot see with our eyes this Glass-Cleaner, but our soul can feel the exchange -- shards for grace. The wounds may not go away, but our mess-cleaner, our grace-giver, our Heavenly Father, gives grace, restores our spirit, and gently makes something beautiful with the seemingly useless shattered pieces. Oh, we may see the fissures, but God can use all things to work together for good to those who love God (Romans 8:28). He uses broken lives!
Here are three ways to rest in God after He heals our messes.
1. Don’t Look Back
We may never forget the mess, but we don’t have to dwell on it, regret it, or go back and wallow in the shards. Like Paul, we can forget the past and look forward to what lies ahead (Philippians 3:13).
2. Visit the Mess-Cleaner Daily
To keep strong, we must remain in the Word and talk to God daily, always offering praise to God as our sacrifice through Jesus, which is the offering presented by lips that confess him as Lord (Hebrews 13:15).
3. Use your Mess
Many around us are bandaged messes, wrapped over and over to keep the hurt from seeping through. Sharing how God healed your mess will help them see your humanness. It’s not always easy, but go, and (God) will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak (Exodus 4:12).
Give me Grace
Glass shards all over the cabinet, in my drink, and on the floor. I was putting dishes away when a bowl slipped, hitting another bowl and plate, breaking all three. A huge mess. What did I do? I left it. Yep, all those hundreds of pieces stayed right on my counter and floor, glistening with glee, until RB came home from teaching. I did warn him by phone that a mess awaited his return.
1. Don’t Look Back
We may never forget the mess, but we don’t have to dwell on it, regret it, or go back and wallow in the shards. Like Paul, we can forget the past and look forward to what lies ahead (Philippians 3:13).
2. Visit the Mess-Cleaner Daily
To keep strong, we must remain in the Word and talk to God daily, always offering praise to God as our sacrifice through Jesus, which is the offering presented by lips that confess him as Lord (Hebrews 13:15).
3. Use your Mess
Many around us are bandaged messes, wrapped over and over to keep the hurt from seeping through. Sharing how God healed your mess will help them see your humanness. It’s not always easy, but go, and (God) will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak (Exodus 4:12).
Give me Grace
6 comments:
I especially like #3 - Use your mess. The people who have influenced and helped me most where those who weren't afraid to "be human."
Love this post, and the analogy with shards...so true that our Heavenly Father is the only one Who can heal our brokenness. I think there is an old song by Andrew Peterson about Jesus healing our shards...many blessings to you.
I've hear it said: God can turn my mess into a message. Wonderful encouragement!
I like this post Pamela! Both you and Karen (her comment) have great messages. I am often amazed when God uses me and my messes to make me understand His message loud and clear. Sometime He uses us to lead others to Him! Took me a long while to learn that message! Beautifully written. Blessings to you and yours, Anne
This was really wonderful. I liked #3 the best - my story, His glory. That's how God uses even the worst messes in our lives. He redeems those stories, swallowing up our *shards* in His wholeness, and bringing love and comfort to our brokenness.
GOD BLESS!
I think God is just like RB...He just steps in and starts cleaning after we call to warn Him a mess is waiting!! xoxo
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