Mud

My mother had a wise saying she often shared with me when I was in my late teens and early twenties.  She used several variations, trying to get my attention.  Simply put, “you cannot walk by mud puddles forever without getting mud on you.”
 
I wish I had understood how profound the thought was then.  I thought it was the ramblings of someone out of touch.  Now that I am older then she was then, I find myself understanding the love, concern, and patience coming from a parent that loves his or her child.  I did not really hear.  I did not comprehend.  My understanding could not grasp the wisdom buried in a few simple words.  There is much in my life today that says I still have not fully grasp its meaning.
 
The warning is blunt and to the point.  Said another way, “Ruin descends—you can't charm it away.  Disaster strikes—you can't cast it off with spells.  Catastrophe, sudden and total—and you're totally at sea, totally bewildered!”  (Isaiah 47.11)  You words, actions, and choices have their unique rewards.  You, we live in hells of our own creation.
 
Yet there is something wonderful about mud.  There is a way to wash it away!  Granted, the longer it is on you, the more it dries, and the more resolutely it sticks to afflicted.  Quick action is easier than waiting.  Regardless of when, there is no time like the present to confront and deal with the stuff in our lives.  We have the power to begin the process, even though we cannot do anything about “it” by the power within.  We, you and I, need help!  God is here, willing to act.  Our “yes” will trigger a process of cleaning that defies our understanding.
 
I find myself more aware than ever of my weakness and failings.  I do not know that there is anything new, just more of the same.  It is clear that some of the junk has caked, dried, and cemented to my heart.  Feel free to join me for the solution, God.