Rushing to get out the door this morning, my eyes do a quick scan of the house. I see the dirty dishes and bottles waiting patiently to be washed. Toys scatter the floor. I know my bed is unmade and bathroom needs cleaning. Anxiety sets in, and my stomach turns. Having a four month old and a husband who works 96 hour weeks ((bless his heart)) is not exactly the perfect recipe for a spotless living situation but I try my best for my own sanity.
I stop. I breathe. I take it in.
My perspective shifts as I remember those dishes once proudly held a meal shared with my husband and the bottles held formula that filled my baby's belly. Toys scatter the floor because I had been on my knees playing with my little girl and soaking in every sweet moment of this precious time we have together. The unmade bed represents holding my husband at night and snuggling with my daughter as we linger in the morning sun.
I see the beauty.
Recently I was hurt by someone close. The pain ran deep and the wounds left behind still sting. It was messy. It was not beautiful. It was hard. It was very ugly.
But our God is so much bigger. Without knowing the situation, friends that I never even knew I had came out of the wood works. Encouraging notes from women I admire came into my hands and filled my heart with truth and love. I was given the opportunity to bless women using a gift I am passionate about and came out blessed on the other end.
It was beautiful.
It is so refreshing to have a God who loves us to the core of our being. He knows us inside and out, better than we know ourselves. He turns our ashes into beauty and provides joy in the mourning. I have to cling to that in order to breathe. Oh, how he loves us.
This life can be overwhelmingly messy, but focusing on the beautiful makes it all worth the while.
XO, Em
