One of Those Mornings

Ever have one of “those” mornings? I’m having one right now.

It began early this morning before my family left the house for work and school. First, our geriatric dog decided that even though she had just come in from a walk, she was going to poop on the floor. So, as I was cleaning up that mess, one of our children accidentally spilled an entire bowl of cereal all over the kitchen floor, which then gave my wife an opportunity to join in the fun. We quickly worked together to get the mess cleaned up and get our kids to school.

Due to the extra time it took to clean up the mess, neither Karri, nor I, got a chance to eat breakfast or fix coffee. Therefore, I headed to the McDonald’s drive-through to get a biscuit and some caffeine. As I was retrieving cash to pay for my breakfast, the contents of my wallet fell out and landed between my car seat and console. I quickly discovered that there was no way my hand was going to fit in that space, so I have resolved that until I can find someone with a much smaller hand (i.e. my children), my credit card, driver’s liscense, Sam’s Club card, and Subway card will remain in the crevasse. Don’t get any ideas about breaking into my car, either. Otherwise, you just may get the bad juju, too.

Regardless of how much I attempt to control my circumstances and keep everything neat and tidy, it’s simply impossible to do so. It’s a great reminder that life is messy. One of my spiritual heroes, Mike Yaconelli, always used to say, “Life is messy.” In fact, his book, Messy Spirituality, falls into the category of “Top Five Books That Have Shaped My Life.” I love what Mike says on page 13 of Messy Spirituality:

Accepting the reality of our broken, flawed lives is the beginning of spirituality not because the spiritual life will remove flaws but because we let go of seeking perfection and, instead, seek God, the one who is present in the tangledness of our lives. Spirituality is not about being fixed; it is about God’s being present in the mess of our unfixedness. 

I’m so thankful we have a God that loves and accepts us not just in spite of our messiness, but rather because of our messiness. For it is in the messiness of life that we are reminded of our brokenness and absolute need for healing. It is in the messiness of life that we must cease to depend upon our own strength, and begin to rely upon His strength. It is in the messiness of life that we are faced with the reality that we are in need of a Savior. I love the words of the Apostle Paul, which speak to this very issue:

“My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.  That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.   -2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NLT)

I’m actually glad that it’s just one of those mornings.

Think About It,

-Danny