The Miracle in the Mess
Every once in a while I read a book that bears witness with my spirit in a way few do. In the Middle of the Mess by Sheila Walsh is one such book. As soon as I read an excerpt from the book last fall in an online devotional I knew this was a book I needed to read; I was right. I began the book at the beginning of the year but had only been able to read a few chapters until yesterday. For one reason or another it just wasn't time for the book then. But yesterday...
Yesterday morning I saw the book sitting on my shelf and something deep within me knew it was time, time to sit down, read, and allow the words to do what God had sent them to do in my life. So, yesterday afternoon I read the book, the entire thing, in one sitting. As a result, my afternoon contained a blending together of smiles, tears, and greater understanding. It was as if Sheila Walsh had entered my home and sat down with me as a dear friend and shared her personal story. So real was the story she told I almost felt as if I should be drinking a cup of tea along with her when she was having one in the various stories she shared. When she shared a hilarious experience she shared with a close friend it felt as if I were there with them.
Waves of our Savior's love washed over me in wave after never-ending wave as the comforting truth of "by grace through faith not of works the gift of God" soaked in even deeper. This is from a portion of scripture I have been meditating on for several months, and the message of hope in this book brought it home in yet another way. Every day in countless ways by grace through faith not of works the gift of God rises up and slices through lie after deceptive lie. Every day in countless ways I am being set free more and more by the healing power of Jesus. Some miracles are HUGE, DYNAMIC, INSTANTANEOUS, but others arrive little by little, day in day out, over time. All are miracles; all are beautiful. All are received by grace through faith. None are by works, and all are the gift of God.
Every once in a while a book will not only bear witness with my spirit in a real, deep way, but every so often a book comes along that carries such wisdom and healing in its pages a sense that every woman ought to have this book lodges inside my heart. In the Middle of the Mess is one of those books. Every woman has a mess of some kind in her life, probably more than one. The size or severity of the mess doesn't matter. We all have a need to get through our messes and get through them well. In the Middle of the Mess helps us know how to do just that. Every woman needs to know that it is okay not to always be okay, that there is hope to be found, abundant hope in Jesus. Every woman needs to be reminded that Jesus knows we are a mess in a mess, and He is okay with that. It is why He came, lived, died, and rose again. We are loved deeply by God, and He is with us in the middle of our mess.
In the Middle of the Mess Strength for this Beautiful, Broken Life by Sheila Walsh is a book I highly recommend to be read individually and also in Bible Studies of women joining together in a loving community of sisters in Christ. None of our messes are too big for God.
Some other book companions for such a season of reading are:
Yesterday morning I saw the book sitting on my shelf and something deep within me knew it was time, time to sit down, read, and allow the words to do what God had sent them to do in my life. So, yesterday afternoon I read the book, the entire thing, in one sitting. As a result, my afternoon contained a blending together of smiles, tears, and greater understanding. It was as if Sheila Walsh had entered my home and sat down with me as a dear friend and shared her personal story. So real was the story she told I almost felt as if I should be drinking a cup of tea along with her when she was having one in the various stories she shared. When she shared a hilarious experience she shared with a close friend it felt as if I were there with them.
Waves of our Savior's love washed over me in wave after never-ending wave as the comforting truth of "by grace through faith not of works the gift of God" soaked in even deeper. This is from a portion of scripture I have been meditating on for several months, and the message of hope in this book brought it home in yet another way. Every day in countless ways by grace through faith not of works the gift of God rises up and slices through lie after deceptive lie. Every day in countless ways I am being set free more and more by the healing power of Jesus. Some miracles are HUGE, DYNAMIC, INSTANTANEOUS, but others arrive little by little, day in day out, over time. All are miracles; all are beautiful. All are received by grace through faith. None are by works, and all are the gift of God.
Every once in a while a book will not only bear witness with my spirit in a real, deep way, but every so often a book comes along that carries such wisdom and healing in its pages a sense that every woman ought to have this book lodges inside my heart. In the Middle of the Mess is one of those books. Every woman has a mess of some kind in her life, probably more than one. The size or severity of the mess doesn't matter. We all have a need to get through our messes and get through them well. In the Middle of the Mess helps us know how to do just that. Every woman needs to know that it is okay not to always be okay, that there is hope to be found, abundant hope in Jesus. Every woman needs to be reminded that Jesus knows we are a mess in a mess, and He is okay with that. It is why He came, lived, died, and rose again. We are loved deeply by God, and He is with us in the middle of our mess.
In the Middle of the Mess Strength for this Beautiful, Broken Life by Sheila Walsh is a book I highly recommend to be read individually and also in Bible Studies of women joining together in a loving community of sisters in Christ. None of our messes are too big for God.
Some other book companions for such a season of reading are:
- The Emotionally Healthy Woman Eight Things you Have to Quit to Change Your Life by Geri Scazzero
- Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Pete Scazzero
- A Family Shaped by Grace by Gary Morland
- Rivers of Grace Raising Children by the Spirit Rather than the Law by Mark and Patti Virkler
- The Lifegiving Table - by Sally Clarkson
- The Lifegiving Home - by Sally Clarkson
- Any and all books by Sally Clarkson and her family
- Volume One Sabbath Roots by Shelly Miller
- The Rest of God by Mark Buchanan