Sometimes Joy is Messy

I will admit, I don’t have the cleanest house in the world, but I also attempt to not constantly look like a tornado has ravaged us.  However, Christmas morning really is my favorite mess of the year.  There is so much excitement and anticipation as the paper is ripped off, new toys are taken out of boxes, and stocking stuffers are scattered everywhere.  It always seems like the entire room is covered in a sparkly array of chaos- and I love it.  Yesterday morning was no exception at our house.  Once everything had been opened and the fun of playing began, I stepped back to snap a picture of the mess.  Usually I will do anything to hide the mess of my house in pictures, but on Christmas morning I intentionally took pictures of the mess.

 I think the reason I love that mess is because it is so full of joy.  It is not the mess of carelessness or laziness; it is the mess created by the thought that something else is more important than the appearance.  The reality is, sometimes joy is messy.  It is the mess of Christmas morning.  The spit up, dirty diapers, and drool of a sweet baby.  It is the aftermath of cookies being decorated on your counter by 3 year old fingers.  Joy is in the mess of wet clothes and boots tracking in after making snow angels in the yard and on the sticky fingers of summer time popsicles and sidewalk chalk stains.  Joy is messy in the kitchen after the entire family has gathered for a meal or at the end of the night when your Christmas party guests leave.  These are not the messes left by carelessness or laziness, they are the messes that happen because something was more important than appearance.  It was more important to make memories with the little ones, laugh with friends, swap stories over the dinner table, or savor each precious moment. 

As I sat through Christmas Eve service at church, I couldn’t help but cherish the thought of how much God loves us that he would arrive in such a humble way.  That night was assuredly messy… birth in a barn, shepherds as the first visitors, and a manger for a bed- but most certainly full of joy as a multitude of angels made the announcement, and a new mom held a sweet snuggly baby in her arms. 

2019 is coming to a close, and as it does, I have been reflecting on our #theyearofJOY.  What a year it has been!  I’m so very thankful that God whispered to me, “JOY” as my word for the year.  It has made me think a new thought in hard circumstances, celebrate little things that I often would have overlooked, and given me a chance to pass that joy on to others as well. 

Joy is not always easy, it is not always clear.  Sometimes joy is messy like Christmas morning…. and sometimes messy is beautifully perfect.

“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” John 15:11