Life is messy. It is chaotic, stressful, draining, nerve-racking, and any other negative adjective you can think of. It is also beautiful. Absolutely, amazingly beautiful. On a daily basis, we take the beauty of this gifted life for granted. Everything is work here, take the kids there, mow the lawn, walk the dogs, do the laundry, make dinner, wash the dishes, go shopping, pay the bills, and the list goes on and on. In the midst of all the hustle and bustle, we forget to fully appreciate all that God has given to us.
Today was one of my more messy days. I relaxed this morning, a little too long, and got behind on laundry and dishes and general clean up around the house. Then the kids got home from school and it was homework and dinner and more homework and reading and jammies and bed. WHEW! There is never a dull moment in the life of a single mother, that’s for sure. However, let me tell you what I did during the time I took to relax: I spent time with the Lord. I grabbed my cup of coffee, sat out on the back patio, and invited him to have coffee on the porch with me. It was time well spent. We talked about love and the beauty in finding someone to spend this life with. We talked about friendship and how friends enrich your life in a way that no one else can. We talked about patience, or my lack there of to be more precise, and how it goes hand in hand with perseverance. We talked about being a mother and the joy that children bring to the heart. We talked about leading children in Christ and by doing so, they will teach their children and their children’s children. We talked about the beautiful imperfectness of life. We spent time reading different passages in the Bible and discussing how they apply to my life. It was the best quiet time I have had in a long time. So good, in fact, I am quite sunburned from staying out on the patio for so long. That precious quiet time filled my heart and gave me everything I needed to not only get through the day, but also gave me the wonderful moment that I am sharing with you right now.
You see, God doesn’t care how messy your life is. He doesn’t care if your laundry is done or if dinner is 20 minutes late or if you have last night’s dishes piled up in the sink. All he asks for is your heart and your time. Give him that and he will give you everything you need and more than you could ever imagine. There is a strength that comes from the simplicity of spending time with God. It fills every part of you, so much so that it will overflow into others. Use him as the nourishment for your heart and soul. Feed yourself with the word of God. In doing so, you will always find yourself healthy and others around you will find themselves with the hunger as well.
I like to think of this life as a beautiful mess. It gets stressful and draining and some days you just want to throw in the towel, but then something happens. Whether it is a child’s laughter, a hug from a friend, a kiss from a loved one, or time with the God who matters most, something comes along that makes the struggle and the stress and the chaos worth it all. You can’t fully appreciate the life God has given you, until you have walked through the pain, no matter how small or great it is.
I hope that you all can find the time to spend with our Lord. There is truly nothing like it.
So, it’s about time you stop the spiritual hunger and Feed Yourself, Girl! Life is beautifully messy once you do…
Psalm 31:24 (NIV)
“Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.”
feed yourself, girl 