Joy in the middle of the mess.
I used to be someone who never had dirty dishes on the counter… who didn’t have tufts of dog fur in the corners… who got my taxes done before Valentine’s Day.
When I married my husband Carlos, I also married three older boys. Then we had our daughter Zoe, a beautiful smart little girl with Down Syndrome, and now I look at life through a series of appointments, tasks undone, and toilet paper on the counter instead of on the holder. I frequently feel sloppy, breathless… and amazed at how much I love my life.
I think of how messy Jesus’ ministry was. The guys who worked for him frequently didn’t get it. He had people wanting things from him all the time. He gave everything he had, and it wasn’t appreciated.
And he had so much joy that we still love him and follow him today. How is that even possible? Maybe you have your own version of this.
I am encouraged by Hebrews 12:2 – in the Message it says, “Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!”
I love my life. It’s imperfect, and it’s joyful in the middle of the mess.
