The Mess

Each time I gave it a stir, it seeped over the edge and bubbled. With only half the ingredients in the skillet so far...I had to continue. So I dalloped, spooned, poured, and mixed in the next 4 ingredients until I had a skillet full of yummy goodness overflowing and heaped high, needing to be stirred yet again.  I was given the blessing today of preparing a meal for several special people. I chose a recipe I have made in the past that was a big hit with my boys...Cheesey Enchilada Casserole . Because I was making the dish for more than I typically prepare, I doubled the recipe. I purchased twice the amount of ingredients, got out an extra baking dish, and seemed to be prepared, well almost prepared. As I started adding ingredients to the skillet, I noticed it was filling up quickly and would most likely not hold the remaining amount. As I added each ingredient, it got fuller and fuller until it was past its capacity, which I might add is an understatement. So, once I was at the point of no return, what to do? Evidently, I forgot to double the skillet size. I now have a skillet full of yummy spilling over and burning the excess on the stove. Transfer to a larger skillet? Divide it into two skillets? Or embrace the mess and keep on stirring? For some odd reason, which is not typical to my character AT ALL, I chose to embrace my mess...and WOW...what a mistake! I think the mess multiplied in a matter of seconds. I quickly changed my train of thought and dealt with the overflowing yummy mess.

I cannot help but think of the mess that we allow into our lives sometimes. Perhaps we can foresee the mess ahead, but still do not prepare ourselves fully for it. Maybe we somewhat prepare, but not to the extent we should. Or maybe we have mess in our lives that slowly seeps out, little by little, until it adds up to a huge mess. Or its possible that we have one big mess on our hands and we choose to embrace the mess and continue on, its already a mess so whats a little more mess already added to my mess? Following me or totally lost? Bear with me as I try to bear with my thoughts. Let me break it down and make it simple for you (and me) to understand Mess=Satan. I believe it is a fair statement to say that when there is mess in our lives, Satan is involved. (Sidenote: If you are one of the special people I prepared a meal for....the mess I made while preparing your dinner had nothing to do with Satan, it was simply an analogy. I assure you that your meal was prepared with love and kindness!) Back to the mess. What mess do you have in your life? When I think of mess, I think of things such as stress, schedules, worries, baggage, fears, betrayal, dishonesty, enemies, temptations, and addictions. These are all things that may seem innocent and easy to deal with in small amounts. Whats one day of a hectic schedule and no time for the kids, tomorrow will be a new day? A more than friendly text to an old flame...no big deal, they live 4 states away. The truth would have really hurt her, all I was doing was protecting her. It's just this one time, nobody is around, and nobody will ever know. One little bubble over, that seems it would be easy to clean up and deal with. Our God is so good, always standing by our side, ready to hand us a larger pot, switch us to a larger pot, or clean us of our mess. But what if we dont turn and ask him to? We now have two or three spills that have bubbled over. Now that little lie has snowballed into something your having trouble keeping up with. You now feel you need that daily fix to get by. If you dont do all the things on your list you will let others down and what would those people think of you then? You now look forward to hearing from that old flame each day. This is how the mess starts and grows and spills over before we even know it. So what are we to do? Prepare. A recipe is only as good as the prep. Your life is only as good as the prep. What am I doing to prepare for this life God has for me on this earth? There is a long list of things we can do to prepare: spend time in God's word, spend time in worship, surround ourselves with godly friends, etc. But the greatest and number one thing for best preparation is simply turning to God daily, hourly, minutely and asking his guidance and desire for your life. GOD IS the best preparation. God is the ONLY preparation for avoiding mess. 

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9

"Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin." Psalm 51:2

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10

 

Do you really think we are that stupid?

I find it ironic that there is a statement I imagine Satan says quite often, that I have found myself saying recently. Whenever we fall into Satan's schemes or trickery, he smiles his devilish smile, laughing, and saying "Are they really that stupid?" Are we really that stupid to fall for his tricks and wicked ways? Funny thing...this very weekend I said the same exact thing back to him....."Satan, do you really think we are that stupid?"

Friday night, Jim and I were invited to celebrate a great accomplishment of a friend of ours. While talking with a few friends that night, I told them that it had been a really good week. I found it the first time I could honestly say that and mean it. That was an answered prayer in and of itself. The next morning, Jim was going to have the boys up while I made the grocery list, then they would swing back by and pick me up on the way to the store. While making my list, I diverged for a moment and decided to update my facebook status since I had not done so in quite some time. I updated it  to say "God is so good, yesterday, today, and always!" Within 5 minutes of clicking "post" I received a phone call from Jim, "Hey...I need you to grab an extra change of clothes for Parker and meet me in the emergency room" WHAT ? ? ? ? Long story short and a few details cut out: Parker fell, passed out, woke up disoriented, began appearing to be fine, then started throwing up. Several dollar signs and a CT scan later, they confirmed Pman had a concussion. How blessed we are that he is ok and his injury was not worse! We can handle a couple weeks of "no rough play" easily!

As we sat in the room waiting to hear the results I told Jim that I was really angry. I feel very attacked by Satan right now. And even more so, I am angry that he is using my babies to try and attack Jim and myself. How dare he mess with my boys....its really really starting to get on my nerves. Who does he think he is to assume that I am going to fall for his "tricks". I don't think so! Does he not know that the God I serve is greater than he? That the God I serve is the God of all creation? The God of all Heaven and Earth. Does he not know that the God I serve is Omnipotent and Eternal? Does he not know that I am a child of God? 

Sweet sweet Lord, Your grace and mercy is so great Father. Its a perfectly beautiful gift you have given us that we do not deserve. Thank you for the gift of life and choosing me to be one of your children. Thank you Lord for going before us and setting our path. I pray that your desires would become the desires of my heart. I fall at your feet Lord in thanks for protecting our Parker. Thank you for keeping him safe from greater harm. I pray Lord that you will guard and protect our family from Satan, his demons, and his schemes. Lord I ask that you build a hedge of protection around our house. Father guard our hearts, minds, and emotions from him and his tricks. Lord may we see life through your eyes Father and respond as you would. Guide us each day in our every step. And above all these things I request Lord, I pray that your will be done along with peace in our hearts. Amen.