Beautiful

The day before Valentine’s Day this year, I hosted a party for my niece and nephew. At one point, I went into my “junk room” at the back of the house to get something. My five-year-old nephew followed me. As he looked around, his eyes grew wide. He smiled and said, “this is beautiful!”

I laughed. My own sentiments about the state of the room are a far cry from his: Christmas decorations waiting to be put in a closet, boxes and bins and dressers and desks.

I said, “it’s a mess!”
“But it’s a beautiful mess!” he insists.

How can I argue with that?

While others and I find humor in this five-year-old’s perspective on a room full of odds and ends, it also warms my heart. It reminds me of someone else who finds beauty in messes. How often have I stepped back from a moment or situation in my life and thought, “this is such a mess”? But then I hear a whisper in my soul, “but it’s a beautiful mess.”

Thinking back to my nephew’s reaction, I think what he was trying to say was “there is so much potential here.” Potential for mischief, maybe, but potential nonetheless. This is also what our Heavenly Father is saying when he calls our messes beautiful. They are perfect opportunities for him to show himself strong in our weaknesses.

What better way to see this truth than through the eyes of a child?

Dear Father, thank you so much for seeing beyond our messes and making us beautiful. When we stumble and fall, when we crumble and crack, you take us and mold us into something new that serves your purpose. Help us remember that today. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Throughout This Day: Is there a situation in your life in which you feel like a mess? Ask God to help you see his hand in that situation.