Lice, urine, and poop.
I’m sorry. I probably should’ve warned you before blurting that out.
But those three words sum up last week pretty well for me.
In no particular order.
It was definitely not my most glorious week of mommy-hood.
Especially since every single one of the items listed above affected bedding in some way. And clothing. Lots and lots of clothing. Which means I was elbow deep in a whole bunch of nasty as I was doing one load of laundry after another all week long.
And to be honest,
(because how can a post that starts like this one be anything but honest?)
I really dislike those not-so-glorious times.
My most recent ones were lice, urine, and poop.
But I’ve also tried the cancer and job loss kind.
Maybe you’re experiencing the death-of-a-loved-one kind.
Or the depression and loneliness kind.
Perhaps it’s the really-annoying-coworker-around-whom-I-constantly-lose-my-testimony kind.
Or maybe it’s simply the I-love-staying-home-with-my-kids-but-I-think-I’m-going-a-little-crazy kind.
Those are the times we dread, aren’t they?
But guess what?
As I found myself complaining in my heart about all the nasty and lack-of-glory as I was still in the midst of it, God whispered to my heart as only He can:
“Christ in you is the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).
And in spite of the lice, urine, and poop, my heart leapt with joy. A joy truly unexpected, and certainly undeserved, considering my grumbling heart not two minutes prior. How could I be joyful in the midst of so much nasty?
I found joy in God’s gracious word of hope to me.
You see, hope is believing in the good things to come.
And hope can change everything because it takes my focus away from the here and now and places it squarely on God’s promise of future glory.
It’s standing in the middle of the nasty and the lack-of-glory and choosing to look past it to a future that’s more glorious than I can even imagine…all because Christ is in me.
So that even if every single day from now until the day I die is un-glorious, I can still look forward with great anticipation to the glory waiting for me in eternity.
And that’s a hope that will never, ever disappoint (Romans 5:1-5).
~~
Would you like to read more about the glory yet to come? My good friend (and kindred spirit) makes it a frequent topic of conversation in her beautiful blog, Messy Theology. I know you’ll be blessed by her writing, as I always am!
Written by Jennifer Clarke
I would say that hope isn’t just ‘believing’, but it’s KNOWING! So often people say, I sure ‘hope’ it works out or this or that, but hope is soooooo much bigger than that – it’s certainty! I loved this post. I’m in the ‘I-love-staying-home-with-my-kids-but-I-think-I’m-going-a-little-crazy kind’ phase. I appreciate this and NEEDED this! Love you Jen 🙂
We do throw around the word “hope” rather casually, don’t we? Kind of like “love.” Thank you for pointing that out, and for sharing from your own experience. 🙂
I’m so grateful for that hope He brings in the best and the worst situations. I don’t know what I’d do without His comfort and encouragement… probably crash and burn immediately. He’s so good. I’m glad He encouraged you even in the middle of the yuck. 🙂 Have a great week!
So true, Jamie. Thanks for reading, and for taking the time to share!
Awesome!
Thanks, Missy, and welcome! 🙂