February 23, 2020

So, I am driving into the office this morning, and it is raining. Not much, but just enough. And I must admit, my first thought was how big of a mess this was going to make. The dogs will go outside, and since it isn’t spring yet, there isn’t any grass. Which means it will be muddy. Which means they will be muddy, and will have to be cleaned off, everything they come in. And then, I am reminded, we need the moisture. We need it now, and we will need it later. The rain is a good thing, I just wasn’t real excited about the mess, and difficulty it causes for me. But, I think that is how we are with a lot of things, especially when it comes to our faith, and our daily walk with God. At times, it will be messy. At times, Jesus is going to lead us to places that aren’t the most comfortable for us. At times, our journey is going to be messy. And that bothers us. I mean, I have to admit, I love the rain, when the grass in the yard is full and green. It soaks right in, and makes my yard even prettier. That is when I want it to rain. But, if there is no rain now, there won’t be any grass, and well, a yard of dirt is pretty messy in its own right. The truth is that God knows what we need, and when we need it. He knows that without rain in the dry season, there will never be a growing season. He knows that life in itself is messy. He knows that if we don’t go through some difficult times now, we will never experience the beauty later. He knows that the mud puddles of today, turn into flower beds of tomorrow. Which means that maybe we need to quit seeing the mess, and start seeing the promise. Maybe we need to quit spending our time lamenting the inconvenience of our circumstances and worship in the promise of Jesus that He will never leave us, nor forsake us. Maybe when we don’t understand why things are happening, we need to be mindful of the fact that His ways are higher than our ways. Maybe when we question His timing in things, we need to remind ourselves that He is God… and we are not.
I know that is a lot to get out of morning rain and muddy dogs, but, I believe that God speaks to us every day through His Creation, if we will listen. Paul writes in Romans that God’s eternal power, and divine nature, are clearly seen in what God has created, we just need to pay attention. So, today, I will focus my heart on being able worship in the mess, knowing that God is faithful.