What A Mess!

What a mess! How many times I’ve uttered those words is beyond counting, with three active kids in my house. Generally, I get a sheepish, overwhelmed look from the child who is the engineer of the mess. Each time, the pattern is the same. They began to play, got caught up and lost all concept of how large the mess became. Only when I came into the room did reality set in, and often their surprise was a great as mine when they stopped and looked at the room. It was obvious they never knew how it got so bad, what to say or where to even begin.

I made many of those messes myself, and unfortunately the older I got, the lesson became more painful. However, my mother taught me that when I got into a mess, the only place to go was to the Master. Often just like our kids we can get carried away and not realize the junk piling up and be caught off-guard by the cleanup. Jesus knows how to step into our situations that are too much for us and clean up the clutter. He doesn’t gasp with horror, he opens his nail scared hand, helps us up and pulls us in, gently instructing us. This Good Shepheard can calm our fears, sooth our anxiety and step by step make things right again.

I still call my mom today when I feel confounded, but she always directs me to the cross. He took our mess to the cross, defeated death, hell and the grave, and made a spectacle of the enemy. So, our greatest worry is an invitation for His victory. My testimony and favorite chapter is Psalm 103. This sweet promise has come to fruition in my life, and it can in yours as well. Jesus can take a mess and turn it into a message.

Psalm 103:3-5 Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Pastor Natalie Snider