Day 1: First, we created a base for our pig. We taped half toilet paper rolls on balloons. This in itself was a project. Then the homemade glue turned out clumpy. A leg broke off one of the pigs. As my daughter holds her beloved pig so I can repair the leg. Now her shirt is now covered in glue. By the end of the ordeal there was even glue in my hair.
Day 1 Confession: I made the girls clean up the huge mess before taking pictures. As I looked at the pictures, I realized that they didn't portray the true picture. Once again I found myself trying to hide the mess and portray a pretty picture.
Day 2: Pigs sat on table staring at us. I ignored them, insisting they needed more time to dry.
Day 3 Confession: My avoidance has created a bigger mess and more problems.
Day 4: Today I was actually looking forward to our project time, but my optimistic attitude was quickly shot down. We began with a simple two-ingredient recipe, flour and water. Sounds simple enough, yet our glue turned out even lumpier than before.
Day 4 Confession: Nothing ever turns out right. Why Bother?
But we didn't. We pushed through.
Day 5: Our mess of a project turned out alright.
Day 5 Confession: Somehow my daughters have already forgotten about all the mess and problems during this week. They are so proud of their project, their creation. Though it isn't perfect and has flaws, to them it's their masterpiece. I wonder if that's how God views us. So often he takes ours messes and turns them into a message to reach others. He doesn't expect us to clean up our messes first. God says come as you. Then he molds us and shapes us and transforms us from the inside out. We are his master piece, his creation.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (Jame 1:2-4)
Surely this doesn't apply to my life. Why would I celebrate trials? Did you notice, the Bible doesn't say if we face trials, but when. Come on, isn't there an easier way? And somehow we are suppose to consider these trials pure joy. That seems impossible! And on my own, it is impossible. Luckily I don't have to face trials alone.
Unfortunately, I've spent most of my life masquerading through life, pretending to have it all together. I had to portray a perfect image. The thing is I was never able too live up to my unrealistic expectations and desires. And when my perfect reputation shattered and my image was destroyed, I was ready to give up. All I saw was a failure, a mess.
I'm so thankful that God never gave up on me. He saw beauty even in my mess. The moment I cried out to Him and quit pretending to have it together, He picked up my broken pieces and slowly starting putting them back together. It's been a long journey. At first, it looked impossible, but “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” I'm just so thankful that I didn't give up before the miracle.
Our lives are about “believing in a Master Artist who created redemption and loves us so much that He paints over our imperfection with His perfection. It is seeing the real, the mess, in light of the ideal, and so transfiguring it. It is accepting mess and then challenging it to become something more”
(Mandy Steward in her book Messy Canvas)
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