Box It Up

When pop culture icon Andy Warhol died in 1987, he left behind more than just art.  As estate executors went in to clean out his home, they discovered a mountain of clutter.  His five story New York house was so packed full of objects of all kinds that at the time of his death, Andy lived in just two small rooms.  

Sometimes I wonder if we do something similar in our minds.  We live with clutter.  Past messes, mistakes, and missteps...  Things we haven’t forgiven ourselves for take up space... forcing us to live small, cramped, and restricted lives.  If that’s you... it’s time to make some room.  Remember, when we ask God to forgive us, Psalm 103 tells us that He does and separates us forever from what we did wrong.  Box up and throw out those things that have tried to define you, confine you, and remind you of the past.  Dance in the new open space and celebrate the second chances that Christ so mercifully gives.  

Cleaning Up the Mess

One day a young boy was eating potato chips and had made a terrible mess on the floor.  His father entered the room, noticed the mess, and told his son that he would clean it up for him.  The boy quickly replied... “No dad, I’ll do it!”  The dad thought a second and said, “No, if I let you do it, you’re going to make a bigger mess.”  The boy protested... “No I won’t!”  So the father relented and let his son clean up the chips.

The result?  As expected, the boy made a bigger mess.   

When we hear this story, we can be too quick to dismiss it as something only a child would do.  But take a second and think about it... don’t we do the same thing with God?  Time after time in scripture He tells us that He will take care of things for us... revenge, provision, fulfillment, peace.. and so much more.   Yet, we tell God all the time... “I’ve got it!”  And the result, a bigger mess.  Proverbs 21:2 says “A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart”   God knows best... and when we try to help Him handle our lives, we typically just make things more complicated.  Make the commitment today to take God at His word... Let Him do what He says He wants to do for us... and praise Him when you experience the blessing of His loving care.