I tried - messes [Chapter 13]

Do you have children?  Have you been around children - almost any age will do?  Have you ever put down your electronic and watch them make the messes you so wish they wouldn't.   The smile in their eyes, the smile ON their face.

They.

Are.

Having.
Fun.

When did we loose that passion to enjoy everything around us?  When did we outgrow messes (not counting the messy bun - rock that as long as we can).  When did we stop having simple joy in our hearts?

I want to enjoy the messes again. 

Chapter 13 - Miracles in the Mess

Now, this chapter title alone caught my attention.  Messes.  Eww.  My OCD alarms are out of control.  How can we possibly enjoy messes, let alone find miracles in them?  I spend a majority of my time home sweeping and re-sweeping - for I missed a spot, or Gideon just came in from outside; bringing in all the dirt our backyard holds.  Or I will be playing with the boys and reminded them to pick up after themselves or  I now showing Soren (often) how to put the books back on the shelf when he's done "reading."

Kids like to make messes, but they are enjoying  life.  

When our focus is on the mess we might miss the miracle.  

As a teacher I want  application.  Here's some data, but what do we do with it.  I want to change things, be more efficient, find the best way to achieve our goals.  So when Lysa wrote, "Inspiration and information without personal application will never amount to transformation" on page 165 I was thrilled.    

"Resisting God's promises will make us forget God's presence." was one of my favorite lines from this chapter on page 166.  When we focus on the mess, the to-do list, the "sigh" moments, the times that we get upset over spilled milk (seriously, why do we cry when we can clean it up).  We are missing out on God and pushing him away.

The more that we pause, the more that we rest, the more that we look for those smiling moments is when we start to see God appear and intervene.

Information - Have I sought out God's truth regarding the situation

Application - Have I applied God's truth without compromise to the situation

Transformation - Do I now own this truth as a personal revelation from God to use in future situations like this. 

The next time your life seems to be a mess; like the pile of unfolded laundry screaming at you.  Sit, BE STILL, and take God's information, apply it, and be transformed by it.