“Without oxen a stable stays clean, but you need a strong ox for a large harvest.” (Proverbs 14:4, New Living Translation)
How important is a clean and orderly stable? Each person, depending upon their own unique perspective, will answer that differently. In my warped sense of humor this morning, I am wondering how much clean up Joseph had to do before Jesus could be born.
Mary: If you think I’m birthing the Son of God in this mess, you’ve got another think coming, carpenter boy!
Joseph (because he was a wise and godly man): Yes, dear.
There is something that happens in my neck of the woods every year that I enjoy going to (though I rarely get to actually do it): the Fort Worth Livestock Show. There are a lot of cool exhibits, a great rodeo, and tons of unhealthy food. My favorite part, though, is the actual livestock. I love going through the barns and looking at these animals that are a result of superior breeding, meticulous care and grooming, and multiplied thousands of dollars of work to get ready for the show. If you are going through the animal barn, however, you need to be ready to both smell and step in some … stuff.
Two observations occur to me:
1. I have no desire to go through the animal barns when there are no animals present. Nothing about a pristine stall appeals to me at all. However, if cleanliness and order are what you are going for, the best guarantor of that is to make sure that no animals are ever present. If cleanliness and order are the most important things in your life, you need to make sure that you avoid people and all the messiness they bring with them.
2. These are “show” animals. They have not been bred to work. All the work has been done by their owners in order to prepare the animals to make the very best impression on the judges. There’s nothing wrong with that. In fact there is much right with that, within the context of the livestock show world. But if we build our real lives around preparing for the “show,” we will work really hard on presentation to the exclusion of lasting impact.
Real life is messy! Hard work is good, but smart work is better. Every mess is different. And sometimes the best response is not to try to clean up the mess, but to work in and with the mess to achieve a greater purpose than cleanliness and order.
Embrace the mess!
Question: What are the messes in your life that need a new perspective?
Leave a comment below. I’d love to hear your perspective.
