Life Happens... sometimes it's not nice...

Some people told me that they don't like the word "messy" when describing people's lives... because... I think it is describes situations in people's lives that make a child's 'messy room' look neat.  I don't know how better to describe some lives that I am privileged to participate in (in some strange way) than messy.  Life gets so complicated - especially when it's not supposed to.  Society creates rules; we follow them or else. And this causes problems as it becomes painfully aware that there are many good people out there making some not-so-good decisions; not just one not-so-good... but many of them.  Where it really gets messy is when we judge these people by the results of their actions and we believe that this is who they are; we wind up judging the person as a whole flawed individual.  The reality is that these people would love to live "normal lives" but the challenge is in their decision making process that they learned as children. Look back into people's lives; on what basis have people learned to make good choices?  While some people claim that they had a "good child-hood" - although challenged at times - I really wonder because I would not want  it for the life of me. Good people making bad choices and a system that is in place that doesn't allow them to address the issue very easy at all (sometimes rather difficultly).  No matter what happens; they think they are doing "the right thing" and it winds up getting all over them.  Then more bad decisions; followed yet by one more.  before you know it, they are covered head-to-toe in results of not-so-good choices.  Now if that isn't messy, I don't know what is.

What people need is a path on which they know that they can start to make good choices; they need a target to aim for; they need something beyond themselves as a guide; they need the mentoring of a caring, loving Power that sees beyond their brokenness and deep into their hearts where that good individual is just waiting to break free.  Freedom, that is what they need, freedom.  Freedom from judgment; freedom from the guilt of human failings; freedom to accept the permission to start life over once again without the history report card coming out and dragging them back into the abyss again.  These people need to experience the Gospel of Jesus Christ - who came for exactly these kinds of broken people.  Jesus Christ; the one who ate with the tax collectors (remember - tax collectors were worse than sinners - they had their very own category below the sinner bar); Jesus Christ, the one who reached out and touched the untouchable's in society.  Jesus offered healing and He offered life - all in a messy world. The question for us is this, then; do we truly believe that we are the hands and feet of Christ; do we truly believe that the Church is the vessel by which God allows the Gospel to be experienced so that one day it may be heard?  If so, where do we all fit in? Maybe we are leading messy lives, too?

Starting Where You Are

"To start fresh, to start over, to start anything, you have to know where you are.  To get somewhere else, it's necessary to know where you're standing right now.  That's true in a department store or in a big church, on a freeway or on a college campus ... or on life, for that matter.  Seldom does anybody "just happen"  to end up on the right road.  The process of redirecting our lives is often painful, slow, and even confusing.  Occasionally, it seems unbearable." - Charles R. Swindol, Starting Where You Are, pg. vii.

These are the words that Charles uses to start this book.  I think they are great.  Just these words alone is worth the price of the book.  But how difficult is it to truly grasp this.  Too often, we fool ourselves thinking that the way life is going is okay. The world is a mess all around us; we are up to our armpits in messy stuff.  And some how too many people think that this is okay.  We complain bitterly about our problems being the result of some-one else; it is never our own.  But... one day we will have to look in the mirror and take a good look at ourselves and ask the question; "are we happy with the way things are going; are we okay that our life is total mess?" We sit at the bottom of the abyss and try to find a way out. But it has to start with honesty; it has to start with a real understanding of where we are.  Then, and only then, do the words "Today is the first day of the rest of your life" really mean anything.  We can't do it ourselves; we need help.  Well, God gives us permission to start over; God gives us the right to start our life anew - washed clean; all our messiness is nailed to the cross where Jesus died for us (and our messiness).  You just need to ask and accept the gift that has your name on it.

A Messy World

I read this book once; it belonged to one of my kids - he was a teenager at the time.  The book was called Messy Spirituality and it was written by Michael Yaconelli.  It is about God's annoying Love for imperfect people - and that includes me.  And that is what I loved about this book.  It brought God into people's worlds - right smack in the middle of brokenness.  I remember talking to some people back in Ottawa about a tragedy that occurred in Southern Ontario (http://www.firehouse.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64044).  While a man was in Ottawa, his pregnant wife and 7 children died in a horrific house fire (this was in the Fall of 2004 - I was studying for the ministry at that time).  A few friends of mine questioned the faith of the man (a Christian) and asked me where God was in all this.  I told them "right in the midst of the fire."  These people where surprised at my answer; they couldn't believe that God would have anything to do with this - God should have protected them if they where really "good Christians."  They became quiet when I said; "if there is any time in my life that I want God with me - it would be then; Him coming to me to comfort me and take me away from the horrors of (being in) the fire."  Being Christian does not spare us from life's trials.  Life happens and we seek God to get us through the trials and the ugliness of it at times.  That is why I liked this book; that is why I think this is a book that everyone should read.  Yaconelli reminds us that Jesus came for messy lives - not perfect ones.  I forget who said this but, Jesus died between two thieves; not between two clergy.

And thus, this blog.  A place where I/ we can expose God's annoying Love for imperfect people  in a messy and broken world.

Ron