Oct
31
2013
I’m spending each day here in the month of October writing about finding beauty in the everyday mess. Before you think I’m an expert on this topic, let me confess: I’ve likely already lost my temper, prayed that I could have a solo vacation, and held back frustrated tears this morning. I’m far from having this mastered. I’m writing here transparently so that you and I might grow in seeking His daily extravagant beauty. So pull up a chair and get ready to dive into the mess with me, knowing that somewhere in this mess is a beauty that only God can craft.
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I pack up 3 kids 3 years and under and head to the beach to camp in tents.
Alone.
Everyone calls me crazy. Probably rightly so.
But the human heart is made for adventure.
We’re made to fully live this one life. To drive five hours to stick our toes in the surf and squeal delighted praise to the Maker of all good things.
And so I sit while the three settle in their tents and I listen to the surf just yards away.
The candle lantern glows.
The mosquitoes bite.
But this is the place He knew I would be, writing late about His glory while the little ones settle.
This is all beautiful grace in the midst of the preschoolers stalling for bed.
And I want to capture it and live fully in whatever mess I land in.
Grace and mess are all intertwined like shadow and light: together they make art.
Won’t you capture this art with me? The art of beauty wrapped in the warm woolen shawl of this everyday ordinary mess.
Tell me, what is your take away from this series? How do you find beauty in your days?
Oct
30
2013I’m spending each day here in the month of October writing about finding beauty in the everyday mess. Before you think I’m an expert on this topic, let me confess: I’ve likely already lost my temper, prayed that I could have a solo vacation, and held back frustrated tears this morning. I’m far from having this mastered. I’m writing here transparently so that you and I might grow in seeking His daily extravagant beauty. So pull up a chair and get ready to dive into the mess with me, knowing that somewhere in this mess is a beauty that only God can craft.
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I’m not very good at inviting people over in advance.
I literally call friends the morning where I need another grown up person to talk with in order to keep my sanity and beg them to hang out with me.
I used to invite people to parks because I was ashamed of the realness of the mess that is my house.
Our friends need to see the realness of the mess of our houses.
I invited someone over today. 7 kids under 7 were roaming my mess. We made pizza together. We discovered an orange straight up growing penicillin. Toys were strewn all over. Tears were shed. I don’t think she and I were able to have a full conversation with complete thoughts around the interruptions and chaos.
But we broke bread. Loved each other in the messy dirty space of our homes. We were the body of Christ.
And stepping over the cars, pillows, and piles of books we laid back on the couch together for 7 minutes. The kids came crying or shrieking at us. But we just thanked each other for being the hands and feet of Jesus. For being the strength to get us through our weakness of this long hard day. Messy house and all.
Oct
29
2013I’m spending each day here in the month of October writing about finding beauty in the everyday mess. Before you think I’m an expert on this topic, let me confess: I’ve likely already lost my temper, prayed that I could have a solo vacation, and held back frustrated tears this morning. I’m far from having this mastered. I’m writing here transparently so that you and I might grow in seeking His daily extravagant beauty. So pull up a chair and get ready to dive into the mess with me, knowing that somewhere in this mess is a beauty that only God can craft.
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The toddler boy wakes at some pitch dark hour and snuggles in tight under my covers. His face is pressed hard into my hair, like breathing in my fragrance is enough to stop the molar pain. The pain of growing something new.
The night is short. The morning is early with the little boy already out of bed and turning door knobs before the sun is up. It’s the same nap time offense we wrestled with during his entire “nap” yesterday.
My weary body begs for relief. For rest, and also sleep. I am promised rest in that Word, but not sleep.
So I bury my head in the neck of Jesus. I breath in the fragrance of His Word. Then I rise to hold the two year old boy struggling with pain and disobedience. He and I, we’re an awful lot alike.
Oct
28
2013I’m spending each day here in the month of October writing about finding beauty in the everyday mess. Before you think I’m an expert on this topic, let me confess: I’ve likely already lost my temper, prayed that I could have a solo vacation, and held back frustrated tears this morning. I’m far from having this mastered. I’m writing here transparently so that you and I might grow in seeking His daily extravagant beauty. So pull up a chair and get ready to dive into the mess with me, knowing that somewhere in this mess is a beauty that only God can craft.
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This heart of mine after Allume is still tilted on an unfamiliar axis.
The day seems normal, but I am not.
We have this normal kind of mess: My toddler skipping an entire nap and being placed repeatedly back in his bed. My girls lashing out and screaming frustrated. Poop in panties and some in the potty. My desk all covered in paper and fallout. Photos half culled through open in Lightroom.
Nothing has really changed, but me.
I hear these voices whispering or shouting from that stage there.
Hold onto Christ through gratefulness. Hold out His word as greatness. ~Ann
God teaches important lessons in obscurity. ~Melanie
God owns the story. Let Him Lead. ~September
He brings us close in suffering to tell us He loves us. ~Edie
Say yes when it’s your dream even when it’s not your vision (of how the dream would be played out). It may be His. ~Nasreen
You can give up the need to compete in the world- when you know you are complete in Christ. ~Ann
And so I’ll share them with you because your messy dreams matter too.
Oct
27
2013I’m spending each day here in the month of October writing about finding beauty in the everyday mess. Before you think I’m an expert on this topic, let me confess: I’ve likely already lost my temper, prayed that I could have a solo vacation, and held back frustrated tears this morning. I’m far from having this mastered. I’m writing here transparently so that you and I might grow in seeking His daily extravagant beauty. So pull up a chair and get ready to dive into the mess with me, knowing that somewhere in this mess is a beauty that only God can craft.
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Still utterly wrecked by Allume… I promise I’ll try to process a bit more tomorrow and give you my own words. Today… I only have this.
God is also not accustomed to giving his children pacifiers to keep them quiet so they’ll forget they need Him and then leave Him alone…
I too easily forget that God is the one who quiets my soul. When my soul is quieted within me, it doesn’t matter how much noise is going on around me. I too easily forget that God is my peace. When God is my peace, then rockets could be going off around my house, my husband’s health could drastically decline, and I could lack a single moment alone, and still be at peace…
Jesus is our king who liberates captives from the chains of sin and self-governance. God in his grace does not always rescue us from difficult or painful circumstances. God is about his business of redeeming us while we are in the midst of this broken world. He is delivering us from something far more dangerous and grievous to our souls– He’s saving us from our sin.
For God to give his children whom he loves an insufficient, temporary fix would be contrary to his desire to satisfy our souls for all eternity.
Gloria Furman in Glimpses of Grace
