God, will You clean up my mess?

       I had to ask the Lord to clean up my mess today. A mess I made on my own. He trusted me with something and I made a mess of it. A sticky, horrible mess. There are lots of sticky hands going around because of the mess I made. Embarrassing and humbling all at the same time. And I have no idea how to clean it up. As I was praying about it this morning, I just said, Lord- will you clean up my mess? I'm helpless, I don't know where to start or even how to start. I know it's my mess, but could you clean it up? I was expecting a resounding, make me feel good, "Yes, daughter, I love you! I'll do anything for you. This isn't a mess!" from my Father…. but instead I got silence…. Silence… Silence... Silence... and then "Psalm 46". God is MY refuge and MY strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble, I will not fear. God is still God despite my mess. And God is still 100% capable of restoring it.  Sometimes, there are messes that we just don't know how to clean up. You know when a toddler spills something.... and they try to pick it up but they just make a bigger mess.... that's how I feel in this situation. 

      But, God is still God. And in that I can rest. I can "be still and know that He is God" as the psalmist says. I read Psalm 46 in the Message and liked how it is worded:

^1-3 God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need him. 

   We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom, 

      courageous in seastorm and earthquake, 

   Before the rush and roar of oceans, 

      the tremors that shift mountains.

   Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, 

      God-of-Angel-Armies protects us. 

 ^4-6 River fountains splash joy, cooling God's city, 

      this sacred haunt of the Most High. 

   God lives here, the streets are safe, 

      God at your service from crack of dawn. 

   Godless nations rant and rave, kings and kingdoms threaten, 

      but Earth does anything he says. 

 ⁷ Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, 

      God-of-Angel-Armies protects us. 

 ^8-10 Attention, all! See the marvels of God! 

      He plants flowers and trees all over the earth, 

   Bans war from pole to pole, 

      breaks all the weapons across his knee. 

   "Step out of the traffic! Take a long, 

      loving look at me, your High God, 

      above politics, above everything." 

 ¹¹ Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, 

      God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

     God is God. He is my protector. Provider. Healer. And, today, he is my "cleaner". He's picking up my mess. Don't be afraid to allow God to clean up your mess. To clean up your wounds. Allow God to be God and rest in being a child of God. Some messes I am perfectly able to clean up, and some messes I can do one thing to "help" Him..... but other times, it's just too much. He takes over. And I find my peace... even in the midst of a disaster.