Seeing Past the Messy

These tomatoes had some dirt on them from the garden, but God made dirt!

I was piddling in the garden this morning and I picked some tomatoes and a couple of pieces of okra and knocked on the kitchen door and handed them to my son. I asked him to put them on the counter. As he took them he replied, “But, they are dirty.”

I chuckled as I answered, “Of course, they are dirty; they came from the dirt.”

He shook his head and did as he was asked.

As I returned to the backyard, I pondered our brief encounter. We are programmed from a very young age that dirt and mess are not good. We then turn around and pass that same mentality to our kids.

But, when you really think about it, some of the things that produce the biggest mess, bring us the greatest joy. I have delighted in growing my own vegetables. I feel the presence of God when I watch a bud turn into a flower and then into an actual edible vegetable. It’s dirty though. I have to keep a pair of shoes by the door or I will track dirt in from the outside. The veggies often have dirt on them. There are bugs too, good and bad.

But, frying okra that I grew myself? It’s an amazing feeling.

Pets are another example of the constantly messy, but totally worth it. Our dogs have to be bathed and brushed. They shed constantly and the house has to be vacuumed several times a week and there are still hairballs. But, there’s nothing like waking up in the morning to a wagging tail or coming home to these amazing creatures that seem to think I am the greatest human being ever made. What a gift!

Is the mess worth it? Oh, yes!

The media has programmed us to believe that our houses should look like the ones on television or in magazines, perfection. We can also be lead to believe that our relationships should look that way too. But, relationships, like the garden, are messy. People are messy.

When we really allow ourselves to love another human being, it’s messy. There are times when our feelings will get hurt. There are times when we no longer “feel the love.” That is where faith comes in.

If some of my tomatoes get worms, I don’t dig up the entire plant. I simply remove the injured fruit and search for the worms. Those suckers are good at hiding too.

When my dog has some type of accident on the floor, I clean it up. Yes, it’s disgusting. Yes, I may fuss at him. But, I’m certainly not going to take him to the pound and be done with him.

Human relationships are messy. There’s no way around it. It’s true that getting your feelings hurt and your heart broken is painful. But, is loving each other worth it? You bet. So much so, that it made the red-letter words in the Bible.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Jesus  (John 13:34-35)

I don’t think I can top that.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂