Monday Mercies

We Are Made New

On Sunday nights, when your head finally hits the pillow in total exhaustion do you ever find yourself dreading that alarm clock? Dreading another week of chaos? Dreading the fear of the unknown?

You’ve just finished another week full of running kids to and from practices and ballgames, school and school functions, church responsibilities, work, and then all your duties at home just seem to continue piling and now it’s yet another Sunday night and it’s all about to start over again.

Why and how did our lives become so hectic?  The alarm clock goes off and you realize your mind is still running. Is it really that dreaded Monday again, everyone’s dragging to get ready for school, kids tears are streaming because they are so tired, and no one can decide what they want to wear for the day.

While all this is going on we too find ourselves in tears because that list of “things” to do already seems impossible. We too are running around the house in tears, trying to get a load of laundry started, soaking baseball pants from a weekend full of ballgames, rushing the kids to get breakfast eaten, dressed, and out the door to school so we can get started on that “list.”

After I got the kids to school today, worked a few hours, and ran errands I then found myself once again in the kitchen with a sink full of dirt and grim. The dreaded scrubbing of the white baseball pants. The pants that accumulate so many grass stains and are daily covered in dirt.  The pants that cause me so much stress and time. However, these are the pants making memories. These are the pants that have been blessed beyond measure with so many talents and these are the pants my precious one wears.

As I scrub and scrub I find myself reflecting on my life. These white pants represent Jesus and all the filth and stains represents myself. Daily I am a mess. Daily I struggle with patience.  Daily I lose hope. Daily I fall short.  Daily I find myself still at the top of that to do list.

Then suddenly I get that glimpse of my precious Savior. God sent His son Jesus to die for us because He loves us so much. Because of Jesus’s death on the cross we have been given the gift of Salvation; The gift of Grace; The gift of Mercy; The gift of Love; The gift of forgiveness. I’m never going to be perfect. Daily I will stumble and fall. My knees are going to get dirty and my body is going to get banged up from my daily struggles, but because of Jesus all things are made new!

He is perfect! Daily He picks us up, brushes us off, and cleans our stains. He reminds us of His love for us and that new mercies are given.  He is our light and our shield. He knows each and every thing about us, and even better… He knows that struggle before it ever happens. He never grumbles, He never complains, He never grows weary. He just simply picks us up right where we left off.  Brushes us off and continues loving us despite our stains. Wow, what an amazing gift our Father truly is.

He has blessed us with amazing talents and gifts that we should be using for Him and using to help further the Kingdom. Yes, it’s not easy. Yes, it can be overwhelming and even scary. But my friend, to Him all glory is given. Let’s rest in His presence. Let’s thank Him daily for not only our to do list, but all of the blessings He’s given us.  Let’s seek Him and thank Him for the gift of forgiveness. Let’s be looking for what it is that He is calling us to do for Him, not look for what we want, but what it is that pleases our Father. Lastly, let’s hold on to His word, His promises, and just trust. He’s got this. We are renewed daily.