When You Make A Mess

A very wise man I know used to insist that a license should be required in order to give birth to and raise a child. It is worth pondering that our society requires a license to open a business, drive a car, or operate a firearm (at least in most states), but no license is required to bring a life into the world. All parenting requires is two willing participants—and the participants are not required to be employed, mature, or responsible. I am certain of one thing: if licenses were required to have children, many people would not get one, nor should get one. I know I probably should not have gotten one at the time my first son was born.

The logic behind a licensing requirement for parenting is simple. Since so much is at stake, more preparation should be necessary. This is one of the reasons why so many children are so messed up--because the parents had no idea what they were doing. By the time that most parents know what we are doing, all of our kids are grown. This may explain why grandparents are so nice. I think they are trying to make up for all the damage they do their kids. They do for their grandkids what they didn't do or couldn't do for their kids.

Parenting is one of the most difficult jobs on the market. The difficulty is compounded by the swirl of conflicting counsel on how best to do the job, which only increases the confusing about how best to shepherd one of the best gifts God gives. Consequently, there is enormous trial and error—and if the truth be told, there is a lot more error than trial. But gradually, your parenting acumen improves, and you help out when and where you can—even if it isn’t with your own children.

Whenever you get on a plane or go to shopping you can always tell the folks who have kids by the way they react to people with kids. We are usually more patient, because we understand! Especially if you see a parent making a mistake that you made, or doing something that you know should not be done. I remember being in a grocery store and I saw a mother with two little boys, and boy—they were trying her nerves! One of them was asking for Lucky Charms and the other was pulling a box of Captain Crunch off the shelf.. The box fell off the shelf, he stepped on it, and soon all the cereal scattered across the floor. The momma went ballistic and started screaming at the kids with a barrage of expletives, concluding with an emphatic “I can't believe you made this mess!” I walked over to her and said “Ma’am, I know it ain’t none of my business, but my Daddy used to say that you should never be upset when a child makes a mess because that's what kids do. I used to work in a grocery store, and situations like this happen all the time. I’m sure if you explain the situation to the manager, the store will clean up the mess and you probably won’t even have to pay for the the box your son destroyed.” I chuckled a little as I walked away, and I saw her out of the corner of my eye trying to decide if she wanted to take my advice or curse me out. LOL.

I don't know where my father learned that principle but it is both profound and pragmatic. Perhaps he learned it from our heavenly father. In case you didn't know, let me remind you that you are a child of God. And our heavenly father knows a thing or two. about raising children. In Psalm 103:8-14, the scripture provides some amazing reassurance:

The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. 0He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. The Lord is like a father to his children,
tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust.

We all like to brag about how strong we are. But God knows how weak we are. We all like to brag about how smart we are. But God knows how dumb we can be. We like to brag about how tough we are are. But God knows how fragile we are. He knows that we are only dust~

Well manicured dust!

Shapely dust!

Perfumed dust!

Muscled dust!

Not dirt, but dust! Fragile. Weak. And we are just as prone as that little boy in the supermarket to make a mess. But God is so merciful and so kind that when we make the messes that we all inevitably will, he does not throw us away.

Question: What messes have you made lately?

Have you messed up a good relationship?

Have you messed up your health?

Have you messed up your credit?

Have you messed up a great job or career?

Have you messed up your children?

Please do not wallow in the quicksands of despair. God never closes the door on future growth, transformation and change. When we make a mess, there is no need to run from God, run from church, or run from the problem.

You are God’s child.

And God knows that children make messes.

But there is no mess so messy that with some time, effort, mercy and grace, God can’t clean it up!