Oct
01
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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The sun is hardly over the horizon as I sit here to type. Just a few rays of it are falling gently on the preschooler painted bird feeder. It’s empty and begging to be filled.
I look at that bird feeder and I see myself.
That large part of me that wants to be filled. The part of me that would like to wear a nice new shirt more than 3 times before it’s stained forever. The part of me that wants to be pretty or well liked or hired. The part of me that wishes I could write better or keep my desk clean or keep all those objects I lose from being lost. The part of me that wants more obedient children or a husband who listens to my dreams. The part of me that cries.
When I’m empty like that bird feeder, my heart is begging for more.
My heart was made for more. But just like a high heeled shoe would look silly inside the bird feeder, none of those things will fill me properly. A bird feeder was meant to hold seed and I was meant to hold seed too: the growing and change producing seed of the Word of God.
Becoming content where I am with my stained shirt and my screaming toddler carried on my hip football style isn’t a matter of filling my world with new circumstances. I’d still be an empty bird feeder in a different tree. New circumstances will not satisfy an empty heart: only the love of God through his Word will fill it.
The mess transforms to beauty only when we dip down and drink of Christ. When we bow before Him begging: “I can’t see the beauty here. I’m poured out and empty serving here. I’m wanting more. Fill me with more of you so that I can see the beauty you’re creating in and around me.”
What feels like a personal crucifixion is the Lord working redemption in us. Redemption requires us to bow low and to beg to be filled:
Only dead and empty things need the redemption of a filling with God’s words to treasure this one beautiful messy life.
Bow low with me? Beg Him to help you see the beauty He’s weaving right here, right now in this messy one life we’ve been given.
Sep
30
2013Half an hour ago I removed a dead chipmunk from my patio table where my daughters had “rescued” him and proceeded to continue coloring.
I can’t make up these things if I tried!
Did I mention this was the third dead rodent the terrible trio of my gifting cat and curious girls have surprised me with in the past three weeks? At least this last one didn’t make it into the house.
Needless to say there’s a large quantity of everyday mess at my house. Yelling Mama, stinky diapers, unkindness, bloody noses, cheerios on the floor, masses of selfishness, dirty breakfast dishes still piled high on the table, and a dead chipmunk–> and all those in the last half hour alone.
For the next 31 days I’ll be writing about seeing the beauty in these everyday messes. How in the busyness, in the chaos, in the laughter, in the tears, and all the dead chipmunks that God leaves at our doorsteps, we can still seek to see the beautiful grace the God gives right here. Right now.
Won’t you follow along? I’d love to hear about how you see beauty in your mess.
Below are all the posts in the series.
Day1: Wanting to Be Filled
Day 2: When You’re Drowning in Laundry
Day 3: When You Feel Like You’re the Only One
Day 4: When You Need Someone to Lean On
Day 5: When You Want to Give Up
Day 6: Let Go of Perfection
Day 7: Not by Faith
Day 8: Don’t Rush Through the Waiting
Day 9: Simply Confessing the Mess
Day 10: When it’s Time to Take a Break
Day 11: Open Your Hands to Receive
Day 12: When You Ask for Help
Day 13: The Little Things
Day 14: When We Fail
Day 15: When You Can’t Seem To Make Order from the Chaos
Day 16: Beauty from Ashes
Day 17: How to Hit the Reset Button
Day 18: Making Memories
Day 19: You Don’t Have to Enjoy Everyday
Day 20: Our Hope in Glory
Day 21: It’s all a Mess, but God
Day 22: When You Can’t do Anything Right
Day 23: How His Love Empowers
Day 24: Diving In
Day 25: How Beautiful are the Feet
Day 26: When You’re Changed
Day 27: When there is No Rest
Day 28: On Chasing Dreams
Day 29: When Sleep is Short
Day 30: Hospitality in the Mess
Day 31: This One Life
Jul
18
2013Sometimes stories are hard to tell. I’ve procrastinated on this one for a long time because I’m not sure I can bear to tell it. But I am not the Author of this story and I do not know what glory awaits at the final ending.
Stephanie is a single mom. I don’t know all the particulars and they’re not mine to tell, but shortly after the child in her womb began to move, her husband left.
Stephanie worked and mourned and waited. She worked a local ice cream joint that gives free cones to children under a certain height. I remember seeing her long before our session. She smiled as she passed my children a cone. A smile that whispered hope: children are a gift. Hope that I needed on that warm late fall day when my son had likely woken me long before day’s first light.
The Stephanie I met in the studio: she was the same. Quiet patient hope. Smiling gently to her newborn Ethan and thanking Jesus for him as she rocked him to gentle slumber.
I’m showing you this whole session in black and white because it evokes all the emotion I feel thinking back to this day.
Jul
03
2013
Elizabeth, who was here just two weeks ago posting on Serving our Husbands, is writing this ridiculously exciting series call Spark Moms. It’s the child project of a book proposal she’s right in the middle of drafting.
If you’re a mom whose heart soars at the idea of pulling out watercolors, clicking the camera shutter, bringing pen to paper, baking the perfect cookie, or finding a beautiful way to do just about anything, then this series is for and about you.
As a part of this project, she interviews moms who are pursuing creativity. I’m beyond blessed to be her interviewee this week! Click over here to read our interview.
May
15
2013
She sits down at my table to a plate of just barely warm eggs. She’s tired and she has a long stressful day ahead of her. It’s only 8 am.
“Let’s preach the gospel to each other.” She whispers with wild eyes. “I’ll go first: He is in control.”
Over the course of just 2 minutes we rehearse at least the following truths of the gospel:
- He loves us more than we can imagine.
- He is working everything for our good, even if it hurts.
- His name is Justice. Even when we feel like we have not justice.
- He will never leave or forsake us.
- Our job isn’t to be perfect, but to repent, forgive, and love because we are loved.
And hours later I watch my kids climb trees and pick clover and completely ignore the park structures just 10 feet from us, I wonder about this exchange. I wonder that we, like my children, ignore the specifically constructed playground of the gospel, in preference for pushing each other up the rough ladder of perfectionism. We whisper “Higher, higher. Just pick yourself up again.” Instead of “Run to Jesus. He loves you. It’s he who works in you.”
What if we stopped giving that piece of advice? What if we stopped telling our stories under the guise to encourage? What if we stopped pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps to try again and just cry ugly tears and ask a friend to simply preach the gospel to us?
What if we spent our waking hours preaching the gospel to each other? To our husbands, to our children, to our friends, to the lady with mascara streaks standing in the ice cream aisle, and even to ourselves.
So tell me, friends, how can we preach the gospel this week? Or how have you preached the gospel in the past? I’m hungry to know how the gospel works out.
