BRING ME YOUR MESS

“The Lord builds up Jerusalem; He gathers the exiles of Isreal. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:2-3

I remember growing incredibly frustrated in the ballet studio at times because I was tired of messing up on the same things every day. I would work on that variation…the same one and seem to only get the same results,  and struggle and shake and grit my way through my adagio only to feel less-than with my lower than expected extension, or strive to get my thoughts right about the reflection looking back at me in the mirror, only to feel defeated again by feeling like I was missing the mark as a ballerina.

Aren’t we so human? In my now thirty-seven year old skin, in my mom-skin, in my wife-skin, in this-skin…I still find myself frustrated at times for struggling with the same old things. They are different things now and yet so much the same. I struggle to let go of perfect, I struggle to be content in my own 5’8 skin, I struggle to let go of expectations and pressure and just…be me. Plain me. I long to be plain me in a world that says you have to be so much more. In a world that says, “you’re not quite enough, do more, be better, be bigger..”, I lose me.

But Truth and Grace drops in again, again like a big, tall, drink of flowing water. It’s a spring that always seems to find me. It’s the Savior who always seems to draw me back in step with Him…hence, in step with our Savior.

Truth says,

You’re enough, just as you are.

Grace says,

Your broken things, those frustrating struggles, those are perfect opportunities to lean on God.

So in all my feelings of not enough and frustrating struggles, I cling to Truth and Grace. And Truth and Grace place me right back in step with our Savior.

How about you? I know you’re frustrated with some things…some weaknesses, some struggles, some cycles, some messes. Jesus says, in a sense,  BRING ME YOUR MESS. So we bring it…AGAIN. And we feel frustrated that here we are, bringing the same old things to Him again…again! “Here’s my same old stuff, Lord. Here’s the same old mess. Here’s the same old things I am kind of stuck in again.” We bring it again, but get this…His Grace and Truth and Blessing and Help and Freedom and Love washes over us AGAIN. He sweeps us off our feet AGAIN. He dances with us, getting us right back into step with Him, AGAIN. And He whispers, “I LOVE YOU IN YOUR MESS.” And His whispers make our heart dance AGAIN.

His whispers make our heart dance again.

He loves you in your mess. He loves you in your seemingly weak moments. Without those moments, dear one, maybe you and me…maybe we wouldn’t feel like we need a Savior. What if just today, we whispered back, “Thank You for my messy heart Lord…because my messy heart gets to know the joy of being revived, renewed, and restored by You…and that sweetness…is truly the sweetest gift.”

So I bring Him my messes again and again and again and again He whispers me back to Truth and Grace again, and again, and again.

It’s the sweetest dance, although sometimes I wish I could REMEMBER the steps and the rhythms of grace. I so easily forget His ways. I so easily slip into the rush of the world’s ways. His way is different and lighter and sweeter, but my very human soul slips into another rhythm daily. But He always woos me back.

He builds us up continually.

He gathers us again when we stray.

He heals every broken heart.

And He binds up every wound.

Our messes are really weak spots, scattered emotions, broken hearts, and wounds from hurts old and new. But He builds up, gathers, heals, and binds when we…

BRING HIM OUR MESS.

Keep bringing Him your mess because you know what,

you and me…those messes…they are actually beautiful because they keep us aware of our need for God.

What are the messes for you? Keep bringing them to Him because when you do…Grace and Truth wash over your messes and turn them into miracles of growth. You’re free to be in your mess because in your mess, God is with you, leading you through. And He will never stop. He will never stop wooing you toward Him. But the pathway to Him, is so often through our messes.

Prayer: “Lord, here’s my messy heart again. Here’s the same old thing. Remind me of  Your Truth and Grace. Bring me back to Your heart and ways. Thank you, yes, thank you for my weak spots. For where I am weak, you are strong in me. Where I am weak, is the place You want to meet me. Meet me in my weak spots and bring me back in step with You. Thank You for coming back for me day after day after day.”