One day after work I hurriedly went into the kitchen pressed for time, which means I was easily provoked to frustration, and I noticed some water on the countertop. As I began to clean up what I thought was just an isolated puddle, I become aware of a nearby overturned cup and even more water that covered the entire counter saturating everything in its path. This was all compliments of the cat we were cat-sitting that wasn’t aware of the “no cats on the countertop” rule. To make matters worse, the entire time I was cleaning up the mess, the cat was winding itself around my feet and begging for attention. I literally prayed taking my thoughts captive to Christ because things weren’t looking too good for the cat. Each time I thought I had it all cleaned up, I saw the water had gotten a little further. There was not a paper towel designed for the size of this job. It seemed like the more I found to clean, the more the cat wanted attention and petting from me. I’m thinking, “Surely there is something I can learn from this situation!” “Ask and you shall receive.”(Matt 7:8) I asked, and just like solving the million-dollar puzzle on wheel of fortune, God opened my eyes to understand more about my relationship with Him. Just like this kitty cat, I get into places I shouldn’t be and end up making a mess (purposely or not) and then God has to come clean it up. My messes are often times much bigger than I realize, and what I think is just a small puddle actually saturates everything in its path. The entire time God is cleaning up my messes, I sit at His feet and ask Him to give me some attention not even considering all He has done and continues to do for me. Jesus is “The Bigger-Picker Upper," who was without blemish and in the greatest act of love, laid down his life and took on all of our "messes." 1 Peter 2:24-25 says "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed."
Be encouraged with simplicity,
Mandy Wakefield
