My Mess is a Message

Like you I daily am in need of encouragement as I am reminded that I am human.  I belong to Jesus, but I am a mess with a capital M.  I have struggles with sin, depression, panic attacks, doubt, fear, with time management, managing my finances, and being a parent to name a few.  I am a minister of the gospel, but for God’s glory alone, not mine.  As I read the encouraging post of a writer on Incourage.me today, Don’t go into THAT Room, I was reminded of how much God has worked in my heart regarding my mess.

I walked outside today in my PJ’s, yes I did, and took some pictures to share with you regarding my mess.  I didn’t really have to.  I could have shown you the unfolded laundry.  The muck under and in my refrigerator, or the unmade bed and dirty dishes.  But, I wanted to share this specific part of my mess with you.

You see outside in the back yard I have a swimming pool.  As it says, it is a summer escape.  The one I will have to clean up soon to prepare for escaping to.  However if you look at the pool you will notice there is no cover.  Every year my husband and I intend to get a cover whenever we open the pool, but to no avail we still don’t have one.  Ahem.

So the water in that pool is more than a mess.  It is disgusting, or “busgusting” as we say here at our house since one of our girls used the word.  This weekend I am hosting a birthday party and Easter egg hunt.  My first thought is where will I hide the dirty laundry, but the next is I can’t hide the pool.

A few years ago, and moments ago, I used to be terrified of someone seeing my mess.  (Much less me in my PJ’s on the lawn taking pictures.)  Now I invite people to Bible Study knowing the laundry will be unfolded in a basket and flung in the corner.  Knowing there is no way to keep a house clean when you have kids.  I invite them anyway.  Terrified they might spot something I missed.  Something that someone squirreled away, or that they would open the door to the bathroom that is not finished and see that is where I hide the overflow of the dirty laundry.  I invite them anyway.

See I am more of a Mary than a Martha, but for some reason it took years to stop trying to be Martha when company came.  Or, flinch when the Fed Ex person showed up at the door.  Seriously y’all I did.  It took years of grace and mercy and love to flourish in my heart until it welled up enough to help me to bare my messes before people, and not be ashamed of them.  It took the covering of Jesus blood that washes me whiter than snow and the fact that He cleans up my messes, before I could with knees knocking just let people see the real me.

All that pool needs is a cleansing and a covering and it will be kept clean. But I have to say that I am glad it looks the way it does for people who are coming to the party and celebration of life.  Because that mess will let people know that when I profess to be a Christian, I profess I am not perfect, but I trust in the one who is.

I challenge you to let your mess be a message.  This is to show them you are real, and that you are not perfect.  They need to know you don’t trust in the ability to clean up your own messes inside or out.

❤ The Melinda, who is more like Mary than Martha, any day!