The other morning while reading ‘Today God is First’ by Os Hillman, I came across the section titled Embracing the Mess. It reminded me of what many American’s are going thru at this time. Financially we are a mess. Some due to the poor management of the companies they work for, others have been laid off and some overextended themselves. Whatever the reason, it isn’t easy to go thru and it’s going to take awhile for your situation to feel ‘normal’ again.  During times of trial the unknown can be the most unsettling, even though this is the time that we will become stronger and learn the lesson we need to, it is also the time we search for some kind of comfort. There is a lot of comfort to be found in this particular book and that was the author’s intention, he himself has suffered thru many trials in his life to come out the other side stronger and more successful. Here is one part of the book in his words….

Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox comes an abundant harvest. Proverbs 14:4

My wife and I run together through a new home subdivision. Often we see the street filled with red clay from the land as bulldozers clear it to lay foundation. The job site is littered with lumber, all sorts of trash from workers, and is generally a mess. The house looks ugly; it has all its insides exposed as it is being pieced together, yet this process is necessary to get to the finished product. When completed, the home is beautiful. The landscaping looks like it came out of a home-design magazine. Everything is clean and perfect in order for the new homeowner to move in.

Our walk with God is much the same process. Often we must go through a messy period of our lives in which all aspects of it are in disarray. It is in these times that God builds a new structure. He might remove some structural timbers in our lives and replace them with new ones. He might even add on another room. And unless this process takes place, we will never see the end product. The goal is more Christlikeness. In order to achieve this in us, He requires a period of removing all that is not of Him. It can be a painful process. It would be impossible to keep oxen in a barn without having to clean up the mess from time to time. It just comes with the territory, but the result of the oxen is an abundant harvest. God may be allowing a mess in order to ensure a fruitful harvest in your life. Learn from Him so that you might experience the fulfillment of His purpose for you in these times. 

I hope you are filled with peace and positive possibility thinking during these times so you can eventually come out on top and that my friends will help to make this A Wonderful Life!