It's Gonna Get Messy

We have a local barbeque franchise whose tag line is: "It's gonna get messy" and the unspoken completion of that statement, is 'but it is so worth it.' I sometimes think that is the way it is on my journey of attempting to live my life as a fully devoted follower of Christ.  It can get messy.

In the second chapter of Mark we read the story of the four young men who were determined to get their paralyzed friend to Jesus.  When they could not get through to him, they undid the thatched roof and lowered him down to where Jesus was teaching.  I've studied this passage in Sunday school and heard many sermons about it, but they all focused on the determination of the friends and the mercy of Jesus to heal.  I read this again the other day and was struck by the thought of the roof.

I love to have company come over and I try to do my best to clean the house and make everything look presentable and comfortable for my guests.   My husband says he likes to have company because that's the only time I cook--which is not true!  I say I like to have his family come to visit so I can get some of the things on the 'honey do' list completed.  The kids usually moan when I mention guests because it means their rooms need to pass inspection.

 So I was thinking about the woman of this house.  Knowing that Jesus was coming over, I am sure she went to a lot of trouble to prepare for him.  Had I been in her place I am sure I would have been hysterical when those friends started tearing apart my roof!  Can you imagine the mess that would make, and she didn't even have a Dyson!  I am sure I would have done everything in my power to get those men to stop, and of course had I been successful I would have missed not only a  huge blessing, but I would have missed being an eye witness to a miracle.

I wonder how many blessings or miracles I have missed in my lifetime because I didn't want things to get messy.  I am comfortable with order and predictability.  I like to plan ahead and set short range and long range goals.  I need to remember that messes can be cleaned, and miracles sometimes come unexpectedly.  It sometimes is gonna get messy, but if God is in it, it will be so worth it!