Spoken For

Restoring Mess.  After taking nearly an hour to get to work, I received a call from school saying that my 5 year old daughter had an "accident" and needed to be picked up.  Without thinking much about it, I headed to school and found her at nurse's office.  As soon as she saw me, she hugged me... I could smell the stench few feet away.  This was the second time I had to pick her up in a week.  I took her home and cleaned her up.  How could a sweet and cute little girl make such a mad mess?  I tried to hold my breath as much as I could but it was unpleasant to have to touch it and handle it for the next 30+ mins.  I must have washed my hands ten times in the process and still feeling unclean.  Even after I left home, my mind still can't get rid of that awful odor.  As I reflect, why am I willing to do this for her?  What makes us parents tolerate our children even after they made a mess, totaled the family car or drop out of college?  Well, for one, they are incapable of restoring themselves from the mess that they made.  They may not understand the depth of our love for them but the greater the mess, the greater the intensity of our love for them.  Colossians 1:20 says that "and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross."  Jesus didn't just clean us up with water, nor did he pay our debt with money.  He restored us by the blood of His cross so that we could be like Him; Holy, pure, without blemish, one who is beautiful beyond words.  I am sure, me cleaning up my daughter's mess is not even worth noting compared to the magnificent work that He had to endure for me.  His love rings loud in our mess.  As crazy as this sound, there is beauty in the mess.