Christmas In the Middle of a Mess

Have you ever been in the middle of a mess?

I don’t mean a polite middle class mess where you roll your eyes and complain with the other moms about decorations that aren’t up or a Pinterest masterpiece turned into burnt offering.  I mean the sort of mess that buries you in shame.  

In the middle of a mess like that we feel entirely unloveable.  We are convinced that if someone knew the truth we would be a pariah.  We hide.  We lie.  We try frantically to clean up our chaos hoping against hope that somehow no one will notice.  We tell ourselves all kinds of stories that start with "bad luck" and end with "never again" and some of them are even true. 

We just wish for a friend. Someone who loved us most and best, who would come down right into the middle of all our chaos and see it and see us and love us anyway. We need help. Someone to dig right in where we are today and show us the way out. But reaching out seems impossible.

Today in your life, on your social media feed, at work, in your MOPS group, in your church you know someone in the middle of a mess.  Look for them.  They may say things like, “We’re not really looking forward to this Christmas.”  or “It’s been kinda tough at our house lately.”  They may be facing their first Christmas alone after a mate or a child died.  They may wonder if Christmas will be peaceful or if one (or more) people in their family are going to come home wasted and tear the whole place up.  They may wonder if life is worth living this Christmas.  "It’s a Wonderful Life" is more than a Christmas movie to them.  

When you find that friend (and I can nearly guarantee they are there) let them know this:  Jesus came into the middle of our mess.  He didn’t pick a wealthy family but a family so poor that they had to scrape together two birds for a sacrifice for His birth.  He didn't pick an established couple, His mom and stepdad's relationship had to be saved by angelic intervention.  He didn’t pick a stately matron but a young virgin who would be powerfully misunderstood.  He didn’t pick a nice house, a safe cradle, and a birth surrounded by family and friends.  He chose a stable, and shepherds.  He chose a life where His family was soon chased out of their temporary home into refugee status in Egpyt fleeing the horrors of Herod.  Humanity was a mess and He took up residence right in the middle of it. 

He still does you know.  That is our story to share.  And as people who are sharing the gospel, we need to remind everyone in the middle of a mess that they don’t have to clean it all up and THEN come to Jesus.  Rather He came for them.  Today.  Right now.  Ready to help in the direst circumstance.  He’s that kind of friend. 

Helene




PS.  I have several simple offers for you today, dear reader.

1. Subscribe and I will send you "21 days to Evangelism" a PDF to help you reach out to the lost over the next 3 weeks. 

2. I have a video for you to share directly with your friends.  It  gives the same ideas as this post but instead of being aimed at helping folks evangelize it is instead aimed directly at the lost.  

3. If you missed the beginning of this series, (the much lighter) "7 Ways Not To Reach the Lost This Christmas" go check it out!

4. If you are still shopping for Christmas presents (I know I am), I have suggestions!  You can pick up my book "Women of Action: Transformed by Obedience" or some really awesome bookmarks from Designs by DJ.  Or you see a selection of other spiritual gifts at the "Spiritual Gift-Giving Guide." 

  

Link up: Mommy-Moments, Inspire Me Monday, The Mom Gene, Good Morning Monday,  The Modest Mom Blog, Moments of Hope, God-sized Dreams, Glimpses, Breakthrough Homeschooling, Salt and Light