Sweat dribbled down my face. An old straw hat covered hair plastered to my head. Dirt splattered my worn pants, baggy shirt, and tattered work gloves.
After pulling mounds of weeds, pruning overgrown bushes, and digging up encroaching plants, the trash bags grew heavy. Bending, lifting, and dragging wearied my aching body.
In the shade of the welcoming oak tree, I plopped to the grass to rest and observe. Ducks waddled to the bird feeder searching for wayward seeds. Two hawks stared at me from high in the cypress.
Next to me, a baby lizard scaled a blade of grass. At the top, he strutted as though he’d climbed Mt. Everest. His teeny head and beady eyes swiveled to scan the landscape.
Only a few tufts away, a harried troop of ants scurried up and down the blades of grass. The lizard disappeared into the lawn missing the feast so close to him.
Larger lizards scampered up the oak never venturing into the grass. Overhead birds bellowed and flew away. A snakebird skimmed the lake.
Only when I stopped to rest did I really see the marvelous wildlife around me. When worn out, dirty, and a mess, I met God.
He was in the wee lizard and the towering trees. His majesty showed in billowing clouds and gentle breezes. His creation was displayed in the hawks and the mounds of debris.
Dressed in my Sunday best in magnificent churches, I have felt God. But I have also met him in a hospital room and soup kitchen. He has been in a squatters’ camp in Africa and refugee mission in Austria. He showed himself in a child’s hug and a phone call at the right time.
Jesus doesn’t just welcome me when I am cleaned up and think my life is in perfect order. The Holy Spirit embraces me even when I am a dirty mess.
When I was down and a rumpled mess, my eyes opened to the miracles around me. No matter what condition I am in, Jesus meets me there. Miracles happen.
Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen. Matthew 28: 20
Lord, thank you for being with me even when I am a total mess. Open my eyes to see the miracles around me. Amen
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