I had a great plate of spaghetti this afternoon. One could tell by looking at me that I enjoyed it because I had tomato sauce on my shirt, on my jacket (a nice jacket) and on my khakis. Honestly, this is getting pathetic. I used to look at old men who were wearing their lunch and felt sorry for them. Am I there? Has it come to this? I have never eaten lobster but I have seen people eating it and wearing a bib. When my boys were little they had bibs with a turned-up catcher on the bottom. Should I put one on my Christmas list?
It’s not the first time I have made a mess. Actually I have found life to be messy. As a pastor I have sat through, talked through and prayed through many messes with hurting people. We start off life with dreams for that perfect life. Rarely does anyone have that happily-ever-after ride off into the sunset. Sometimes just when things are going so well tragedy of some sort strikes. It’s life. It’s living in a non-perfect world.
The success of life is how one handles the messes. Do we surrender? Do we give up our dreams or do we stay in the saddle and reinvent ourselves and make new goals tailored to fit new realities? One thing we can count on is we never have to face nor clean up the messes by ourselves. I love the last few verses of Matthew where Jesus says, “Lo, I am with you always. Even to the end of the world.” And the Book of Revelation closes with promises of a new life, a new earth, and a place where the messes are no more.
Written by Roger Bothwell on October 30, 2014
Spring of Life, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
Rogerbothwell.org