The Messy Princess

There are parenting moments you want to forget, and some you never will.

One of ours was when Belle was about 6 months old and we were introducing her to baby food.

And like all kids do, she got messy.

Jude who was 3 at the time was standing near by watching and taking it all in.  Since the day she was born she was " princess" and there were some serious princess expectations.

  After a few minutes he declared "she might be a princess, but she sure is messy. She's a messy princess!", and  then ran away off on something else.

Seven years later and I have not forgotten that moment.

Of all the things kids say and do, that has stuck with me.

It was such a brief moment in time, but I still think about it often.

Perhaps it's because we all have notions on how things and people SHOULD be, and when they

vary from our preconceived notions it shocks us.

But, life is like that most of the time isn't it?

We expect one thing and get another.

I think Christians can especially get into this trap of thinking, that since we are Jesus Followers that nothings ever going to get messy.

But, that's just not true.
Life is messy.

Belle was messy that day, and yet it didn't change that fact, that to us, she was still "princess".

And as messy as life may get sometimes it doesn't change the fact that God is in control and He has a plan-even in our mess.

That day in the kitchen I wasn't surprised Belle was messy.  It didn't shock me.
She was still my darling girl.
It was a learning process, one I knew she would get that it wouldn't always be like this.

And you know what?

Your mess doesn't surprise God either.
You are still his darling child.

He knows you won't always be in the mess you are right now.

He sees the bigger picture, the process.

Don't let your mess define you.
It'll clean up and wash off, it doesn't change who you are.

Sometimes princess's are messy.
But they don't stay that way forever.

later that same day. . .

Blessings from the middle of the mess,