I couldn’t believe my eyes.
Of all the things they could take pictures of this was what they chose.
Didn’t they see the lovely view on the other side?
Now all our ‘dirty laundry’ would be plastered all over social media for the world to see. How embarrassing.
This was not the view I thought of when I bragged to my friends about my beautiful islands.
Yet, here they were. Snapping away.
And here I am.
You see, I’d rather focus on the bright and sparkly. I try to be a ‘whatsoever-things-are-lovely’ kinda girl. Maybe to a fault.
‘Cause what I had forgotten was that there was a beautiful story under that rubbish pile.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
There is beauty in the mess
God sees your mess too. Except, He doesn’t turn away.
He never disowns you, turns up His nose or pretends you don’t exist.
Instead, He wants to take you by your sin-covered hands and welcome you into His home. He wants to show you off and call you His own.
Here is my beautiful, precious daughter.
Imagine, He knows your story and yet He loves you. Yes, even in the mess.
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Choose the better view
That pile of debris now takes on a different meaning when I drive by.
I don’t get as upset when I see a bus-load of tourists taking pictures.
And instead of seeing the hurricane wreckage — the fallen trees, roofing material, broken glass, twisted metal, all piled twenty feet into the air — I see something else.
I see the beauty in the mess.
I remember that the pile is there because roads have been cleared, and debris has been removed from schools, businesses, homes and churches.
That pile paved the way for repairs to be made.
Children can now sleep in dry beds. Mothers can rest easy knowing that the sharp pieces no longer pose a threat when their children play in a park.
Life can start getting back ‘normal’.
Thanks to that pile.
The mess isn’t pretty, my friend. It’s certainly not picture worthy. But if you think about it, you’ll probably remember that there’s beauty in your mess too.
God reminds us today that there’s a beautiful story in the mess. In mine and in yours.
And yes, even in that rubbish pile.
How about you?
Are you focusing only on the mess in your life today? Or are you seeing the beautiful story that God is creating in spite of it?
Do your thoughts turn to the broken pieces and all the mistakes you’ve made? Or do have hope knowing that God wants to use those same broken pieces to create a masterpiece worth cherishing?
You are that beautiful masterpiece, my friend. And I pray that you see the beauty in the mess today.
Wishing you blessings,
P.S. This post has been kindly featured at Literacy Musing Mondays with Mary Hill. Thank you for this sweet blessing, Mary.
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Marva, your beautiful words have touched me today. Isaiah 61:1-3 is one of by favorite passages. Praise God for the beauty in the midst of the rubble, and how he trades our ashes of mourning for a crown of splendor. Blessings upon you, your family, and your beautiful island!
It’s too easy to focus on the mess. 🙁 But thanks for the reminder that God is at work even IN our messes. I always need to hear that!
Thanks for sharing. I loved this post so much that I featured it this week on the #LMMLinkup.
Aww… thank you, Mary. Thank you so much for sharing my words and my hope.
Blessings to you!
Thanks for this post, Marva. I appreciate the perspective especially since it’s so easy to forget to envision life from God’s point of view.
I’m definitely one who doesn’t like messes of any kind and would make a special effort to quickly clean things up; but when life becomes messy, it’s challenging for me to quickly clean up emotions, attitudes, behaviors, thoughts, etc. I’m learning to let God do the heavy lifting and show me the good things he can create out of my mess. Amen.
Yes, girl, I know the feeling. Thank God He not only does the heavy lifting, He also continues to bear our burdens.
Love you, dear friend!
If only we would remember that God is writing a beautiful story of our lives, and the messes are a part of it. We don’t like the messes, but they provide the tension that is necessary for us to truly appreciate the beauty of the resolution that God brings in answer to our prayers.
May the Lord continue to help you all as you continue to clean up the mess and try to get back to some normalcy in your lives.
I appreciate your kind words about the tension, Ruth. Sometimes I forget that it’s all a part of God’s grace to me.
Blessings!
Hey Marva, thanks so much for the reminder that the mess is God’s opportunity to make something beautiful of our lives. Your neighbor over at faith n friends.
Thank you, Tiffiney. What a mighty God we serve! He can take the biggest mess and create the most amazing beauty.
I appreciate you stopping by and joining the conversation.
Blessings to you!
Marva – AMEN! Yes, there is beauty to be seen in everything including the mess. Thank you so much for your beautiful post and words of encouragement. We are neighbors today at #FaithOnFire
PS.. Just a reminder, if you are looking for another place to link to on Thursday’s I would love if you would consider joining my new linkup #TuneInThursday – it opens Thursday 3am PST and runs through Sunday night. you can find it at debbiekitterman.com/blog (Please feel free to delete the link if you think it inappropriate).
Thanks for jumping over here from #FaithonFire, Debbie. I’m happy to keep your mention of #TuneInThursdays so that others can find it — as a matter of fact I just visited this week!
Be blessed.
YES!!! And Amen! This is such an encouraging post, Marva! You know I love finding a masterpiece in the midst of a mess! I’m all over this! Blessings!
Haha, Liz, you made me smile, my friend. I love the beauty a whole lot more than the mess (don’t we all) so God is really working on me! 🙂
Blessings right back.
Love how your perception changed with the pile of garbage, and ours can too. It all depends on what we choose to focus on.
I suspect it really does come down to choice, Theresa. We get to choose our focus — we can choose to focus on the things of this world or the things of heaven. I’m so glad God never forces His will on us but encourages us to choose the best one.
Blessings!
Love this! I’m so thankful God sees the beauty in our mess, and that we can too.
So true, Heather, especially when we remember that our goal is to become more like Him!
Wishing you blessings in abundance.
Hi Marva, excellent post as usual. I certainly know that sinking feeling I get when I see tourists taking tours through my new home here in Freeport, Grand Bahama. We have years of accumulated hurricane damage and economic depression, and it hurts to see the mess in some parts, especially after so many years. But we are still a beautiful country of beautiful people, and this island is filled with love and happiness. So I will take my cues from you my dear and believe in God’s plan for this place.
Aww, Tasha it’s a blessing to connect with you here today. I miss you and the Journey community.
I haven’t been to any of the Bahamas but I’ve heard a lot about the beauty of your islands.
Reading your words reminded me to appreciate the natural beauty that surrounds us and the beauty of our people. I pray those are things we never take for granted.
Blessings to you, my friend.
This is so true! I need the reminder to look for the beauty in the mess and focus on what’s good rather than what I want to change. Thank you!
Glad I could encourage you today, Valerie. Blessings to you as we head into the weekend.
Amen, Marva. Only God can see broken and call it whole. So thankful He’s our Father and we’re His children. Can’t fathom my messiness without Him at the center making it all okay. Thanks for sharing, friend, and thanks for your sweet comments to me at #ChasingCommunity today. Your kind words bless my spirit. Thank you! So sweet to have connected, and I pray we’ll stay in touch. I’ll still be writing over in the same space, so please pop by as you’re able, and I’ll do the same. Prayers of favor and blessing I pray over you today, friend. xoxo
That was really bittersweet news, Brenda but I’ve signed up for your emails just so I’d be able to follow your new journey. I pray you will be blessed in all you do!
Thanks for the prayers and blessings — I sure need them. 🙂
In reading the title of your post, I immediately thought “beauty from ashes.” I love that you included the Isaiah verse. Such a beautiful thought. And, as we seek the beauty in the mess, “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28. Thank you for sharing. #ThoughtfulThursdays
Thanks for adding that verse, Ahsley. It’s another beautiful reminder of God’s grace. He will work all of ‘this’ out in His own special way.
I appreciate you popping over from #ThoughtfulThursdays and joining the conversation.
Be blessed!
Thanks for the beautiful reminders – to choose the better view! Lovely thoughts! Visiting from #CoffeeforYourHeart.
Thanks for stopping by, Sandra. Yes, let’s keep looking for the good God is doing — it’s always there!
Blessings.
Reading this again today, Marv, because I just need reminding. Thanks for the beauty- full encouragement.
Yes, girl, I need these reminders every. single. day. 🙂
I appreciate your encouragement so much!
Love and blessings.
Now I know which island you’re on (from your bio 😉 ). My husband lived in PR for two years as a child, and he LOVED it. He still talks about the beauty. Lift IS messy, but we can see ourselves through God’s eyes–which are always filled with love.
Haha, no secret there, Anita. My heart breaks for Puerto Rico too, having been devastated by Hurricane Maria two weeks after us (with Hurricane Irma).
I’m so thankful that we can remember God’s beauty in a world that’s filled with pain and loss of various kinds.
Thanks for stopping by today!
Blessings.
I think that taking pictures of other’s pain is a step to remember to pray for them. An action that helps us remember what others are going through. We are so privileged and forget so easily that there are others that could use a helping hand. Thanks for sharing honestly!
Thank you so much for that comment, Char because you’ve opened my eyes to see that motives aren’t always bad. Now the thought of a bus full of tourists praying for us (or even just one) lifts my heart and makes me smile. God truly is good!
Thanks for being a lovely host at Trekking Thru. 🙂
Wishing you blessings!
LOVE this!! As someone who has struggled with depression, I haven’t always been a beauty seeker. It has been one of the blessings of God healing the brokenness of my mess. I look for and see more beauty! And by God’s grace, I am medication free for the first time in more than 20 years. Thanks for this beautiful image this morning … it blessed me all the way to my soul! Love you, my friend!
Something about what you said made me sit up straight, Deb and that is the thought of looking for beauty. That is so powerful! I want to be so much more intentional in actively seeking beauty cause I know God will open my eyes to it, just as He did for you.
Your story is an amazing testimony to God’s power and grace. I praise Him for making you medication free — what a blessing.
Love you right back!
I’m a whatsoever things are lovely girl too, not a bad thing. If all we ever see is ugly, whether a neighborhood,or people’s attitudes it gets to us. We can see the potential as believers and that can be disappointing too, when others don’t. Seeing the beauty that came from something as horrible as the cross, that’s when we truly understand His love. Wonderful post Marva, keep seeing lovely.
Thanks so much for your encouragement, Rebecca. I agree, let’s keep seeing the lovely together, my friend. The Cross makes it possible.
Wishing you blessings in abundance!
HI Marva, I’m not sure why my latest blog post didn’t show up so I am trying again. Love to you, Amy
There you go, Amy. Glad it worked this time!
Thanks for this, Marva. Yes, we truly need to see the beauty in the ashes. Thanks for all these details.
Thank you, Amy. Sometimes it’s hard to see beyond the ashes, isn’t it? Glad you found this helpful.
Blessings!
Marva – Yes, we need to see the beauty in the mess. Sometimes it is so difficult, but God can show us how.
You’re right, Maree. My default doesn’t always go to the beautiful so I’m grateful that God gives me new, fresh eyes to see His hands in all of it.
Blessings to you.
Thank you for sharing with us on Grace & Truth Link-Up.
Marva Marva Marva…yess!!! This is just what I needed to hear. Last year was the hardest year of my life. This year has followed up with plenty of beautiful moments but God is asking me to look back and acknowledge the broken pieces for just this reason…so I can see how He can make beauty out of a mess. 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽
I’m glad these words came when you needed to hear them, Brittany. Hats off to you for seeing the need to put on new glasses to look at the past — that’s a very brave step and I know that God will be with you every step of the way!
I don’t imagine He’ll take away the events of last year but I pray that He will allow you to see how He’s always been there to sustain and comfort you.
I’m sending you a big hug right now.