The Mess Is Our Invitation to Remain

"Remain in me, as I remain in you, says the Lord; whoever remains in me will bear much fruit." // John 15:4a, 5b

I had just wrapped the towel on my wet hair and put on my favorite pajamas and was looking forward to an evening of God’s word to keep up with the Teachable Tuesday Bible Study of John with Beth Davis (at this point, it was catching up).

My husband swung the bedroom door open and announced our daughter was throwing up. An hour earlier I had just changed out her sheets with newly laundered ones.

I walked towards the bathroom where she was and stepped on what felt like a very wet mushy substance. In her defense, she had done her best to get to the bathroom. There was no trash can beside her bed because there had been no indication that vomiting was in the forecast. Thirty minutes before, our youngest had been complaining that she didn’t have her favorite blanket in addition to the five blankets she was already snuggling.

I was worn down by the toddler’s bedtime demands and just wanted the humming sound of the dishwasher to keep me company. Now I would be trading it for the sanitize cycle on the washing machine.

I caught myself being tempted to let the “we can’t catch a break” thought creep in. It sounds so defeatist, and I didn’t want to let the hard work I had done during Lent fall prey to old habits.

“Remain in me, as I remain in you, says the Lord; whoever remains in me will bear much fruit” (John 15:4a, 5b).

Can I truly remain in Him? Even when the fruit that it is bearing is equivalent to the bodily fluid I had just stepped on?

As I pulled my daughter's hair away from her face, I looked at us both in the mirror. This is where I am asked to remain in Him.

Sister, in life’s mess is where Jesus invites us to remain in Him.

I offer this simple prayer for you today:

Be with me, God. Stay with me, Lord. Hold me, Jesus. Remain in me. Amen.

Remain in Him. // Mytae Carrasco WallaceClick to tweet

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