My Tangled Mess

I have a small zippered pouch I keep my earrings in. Honestly, I just toss them in there when I’m done wearing them, but I NEVER zip the bag shut. That’s inconvenient. Unless I’m traveling with them. Then it ALWAYS gets zipped shut. Because who wants to risk losing earrings? Not me!

Anyway, the other day I was looking for the match to an earring that was sitting near the top of the bag, but I couldn’t find it. I pulled one earring up, and a whole bunch were tangled up with it. It looked like all the earrings in the bag were stuck to it! But I promise there were lots still left out of the tangle.

As I worked to get to the earring I wanted, and free it from the bunch, it made me think of myself and spiritual issues.

Sometimes, I want to work on a specific area of my life. But as I begin to focus on getting freedom in that area, I come across several other things that are all tangled up with it. And many times I have to work those issues free before I can get to the one I actually want.

Spiritual disciplines take time. Changing bad habits takes time. And working through related issues the Lord reveals during the process of getting to ‘the one’ takes time.

But many times I’m in a hurry. I choose my earrings last minute as I’m running out the door, and when the tangled mass comes up in my hand, I roll my eyes, sigh, throw them back in the bag, say ‘forget it’, and go without earrings.

When I do take the time to untangle the mass, I am rewarded with a great matching pair of earrings that dress up my outfit.

(If you can’t relate to tangled earrings, then possibly you can relate to tangled Christmas tree lights. When you untangle those, you are rewarded with a beautiful, glowing tree. Right?)

The point is, I can’t be in a hurry. It’s a discipline in and of itself to sort through the tangle. (Patience, anyone? Temperance, anyone? Bueller…Bueller…anyone?)

And by sorting through the tangle, I don’t mean violently shaking the mass until the earrings fly off one by one through brute force. I’d certainly lose them if I did that!!

What I mean is taking the time to untangle things, making sure they aren’t getting bent or broken in the process, becaue then I can’t wear them again. It means not getting frustrated and giving up because it’s ‘taking too long’ and I’d rather just-forget-it-and-move-on-without-the-stupid-earrings-anyway.

[And you’re so right- I probably need a better system for storing my earrings so this doesn’t happen quite so often. I’m a work in progress, remember?]

Thank God we can go to Jesus for help in our tangled messes. He is patient. And kind. Forgiving. Gentle. Truthful. And He is great at untangling messes, even when they seem super complicated.

Take the life of any Bible character you enjoy reading about. How did God work to untangle messes for them? They were all tangled up in something at one time or another. And God brought them through it step by step.
He knows which pieces and parts to move and shift first, which way to shift them, and He knows where I need to end up. He will gladly guide me through the process (even through tears!) so that everything is in order.

But I have to be willing to go through the process.

Thank You, Lord for your patience with me! Help me to not be in a hurry when it comes to spiritual things. Help me to discipline myself, and wait for your help instead of shaking the tangled mass, hoping it will come undone on its own. I need You!!

What scriptures encourage you to keep going when you’re tempted to give up on a problem area?

Psalm 139:23-24
(23) Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:(24) And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Proverbs 3:5-7
(5)Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.(6) In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.(7) Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Romans 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.