Show that mess!

I spent some time this morning pureeing sweet potatoes, carrots, and peas. I love making baby food for Elyse. I'm not sure why because those cute little jars look so convenient at the store. I guess I just like knowing exactly what she's eating. It's cheaper, relatively easy, and since I have the time I figure why not. Yesterday I made prunes and I've also done apples, bananas, zucchini and pears. This girl seems to eat anything! I love that about her. As far as babies go she's actually a pretty neat eater because she hasn't yet attempted to feed herself so the whole process is relatively clean outside of a little mess around her mouth. Well tonight she got an itch on her nose or eye or something and when she went to scratch it her tiny little fist went right through the mess. She seemed entertained by the end result or maybe it was just my reaction. Either way one thing she doesn't like is her face being wiped. She's happy to let the mess sit on her face wide out in the open. I love that about her too. Why do people love pictures of babies with food all over their faces? I'm not exactly sure why, but I love it too. There is something so sweet and human about it. We all make messes. Sometimes we're smart enough to learn from it, sometimes we're wise enough to laugh at it, if' we're open about it others may learn from it or at least get some entertainment, other times we just look like goofs. But if we're honest enough to let our "mess" show it seems something could be gained from it.

I've made a lot of messes in my life. Some I'm proud to wear because I've allowed God to use them for good and they have shaped me into who I am today. Other messes haven't proven to be quite as fruitful because I hold onto them, I want to fix it myself or somehow think I've hidden it. Sometimes I don't quite understand the purpose until long after I've been cleansed by the baby wipe of grace. Other times I believe it's allowed to sit and harden a bit just to capture my attention.

I'm thankful for life's messes and the redemptive power that awaits me when I truly turn them over.