For the last little while my heart and my perspective have been shifting, to not look at difficult and trying times with much heartache and anxiety but to look for the beauty that can be found within those messes.
It is so easy to be reminded of the past and the good old days and wish that we could go back. Go back to the way things were, to the fun, to the carefree, no worries or so it seems. My girls and I recently went down memory lane and looked at photographs of the past 6 years. I remember thinking that life was so good, but then I remembered that those pictures often give us a distorted image. If I really had to think about life then, we did have stresses, life worries and financial issues. The images that we capture today in a few years’ time we will look back on them and possibly also remember them as good times. It is time to start living in the present and not looking at the past. It’s also time to look at our own lives and not those on social media, because a picture is only a glimpse of someone’s life. We can look to the future with great anticipation and excitement despite where we may find ourselves, because in God we have hope for our today and our future.
Some of us are finding life really hard, or possibly it is just me. As I am going through tough situations daily I am constantly being reminded to look for the beauty even in the difficult times. When my daughter has an hour long meltdown in my arms, isn’t it beautiful that she can trust me and feel safe to cry in my arms? Or perhaps when I feel so down that all I can do is cry out to our Father in Heaven, isn’t it beautiful that He cares, He comforts and He delights in me?
Difficult things in life can either tear us apart or it can bring us closer together. If you are going through trying times, are you leaning towards pulling apart from everyone and God, or are you leaning on the support of those closest to you, leaning on God and seeing that no matter how messy life gets, it’s still beautiful!
In a space of 13 months, both my grandmother’s and myself became widows! Shocking and unfair, YES!! I am thinking of the saying when life gives you lemons make lemonade, and really it is quite true. Difficult and hurtful things are going to happen in life, but something beautiful can come from it. The phone calls, love and support between us three is something that only we can understand and it’s special. Yes, none of us wish this upon our lives at any age or stage, but it is where we find ourselves. We can choose to look at the past but this won’t allow us to heal, or we can choose to see the beauty that can come from this, three generations comforting one another.
I am thinking of those who are stressed out at work and financial burdens are weighing heavy, I want to suggest too that there is some beauty in all of it. Instead of focusing on the lack in one area, focus on the more in other areas.
Are you pursuing God in your mess or struggle? He can shift, He can move mountains, He can heal and He makes all things beautiful.
“He has made everything beautiful in its time.”
Ecclesiastes 3:11
My personality as far back as I can remember, I have always liked things to be perfect. I like my house to look a certain way, my grades had to meet academic standards. I like things to be organized and structured and I thrive on routine, possibly so that there is no room for a mess. Even messes must be organised! Having children has certainly challenged me in this area, in allowing things to be a mess. It is in those messes that something beautiful happens, laughter breaks out and growth within one’s self and our abilities can present itself.
Life is messy and it isn’t always pretty, but I want to challenge your thoughts today that even if your mess is not pretty, it can be beautiful. For somewhere in the mess, there will be comfort, laughter, growth, opportunities, unity, compassion, support and it is often in the messes where we find our true selves, imperfect yet loved beyond measure, inadequate and afraid yet equipped by God and His grace. Let’s shift our focus not on the mess but the beauty within the mess; in the end we will become better for it!
