Life is Messy

“The world I live in is loud and blurring and toilets plug and I get speeding tickets and the dog gets sick all over the back step and I forget everything and these six kids lean into me all day to teach and raise and lead and I fail hard and there are real souls that are at stake and how long do I really have to figure out how to live full of grace, full of joy — before these six beautiful children fly the coop and my mothering days fold up quiet?”
- Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts 

I love this quote from Ann Voskamp. Life is messy. Our days blur into weeks that blur into months that blur into years. And new obstacles get thrown on our path before we finish clearing up the last mess. And relationships get skewed, and words get uttered that can’t be recalled but are never forgotten.

And yes, we do fail hard as we struggle to set a good example for others while we’re trying to follow our perfect example.

Life is messy.

But in all this mess, we are still loved.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
    his mercies never come to an end;
 they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23 NRSV

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. Never. Not even on our bad days. His mercies are new every morning. And every morning we need them.

I remember an old prayer from many years ago that struck a chord:

Dear God,

So far today I’ve done all right. I haven’t gossiped. I haven’t lost my temper. I haven’t been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or overindulgent. But in a few minutes, Lord, I’m going to get out of bed. And from then on, I’m going to need a lot of help. Amen

We do need help as we flow through our messy days and our messy lives. We need His mercy and His compassion each and every morning as we rise and start a new day, oftentimes with new challenges.

So begin each morning in prayer. Ask for help for your day. Thank the Lord for His mercy and His love. For His love never ceases, and His mercies never end.

Download the Fearless in 30 Challenge. Everyday, for the next 30 days, do something that scares you. Record your thoughts, actions, and results in your journal, and at the end of the Challenge review how far you’ve come.