The Mess you're going to Love

Just before we went on vacation, I planted flower beds in front of the house. Our neighbors also arranged to have our shared driveway repaved. When we returned, we found that the contractors hadn't even begun the driveway, groundhogs had eaten my new flowers, and we received a suspiciously large water bill that meant that our pipes were leaking somewhere.

We had planned on putting in a half-turn driveway in before winter. Since it was necessary to change the water, gas & sewage lines to accommodate the new driveway, we moved the driveway plans to, now. As it turned out, the heavy equipment would have crumbled a new driveway, if it had been built. We'd have had to repave it. This would have been an added expense for us.

We discovered that my side flower bed (which the groundhog had ignored--strange, perhaps we got there just before his next meal, his last if I could help it) was right above the place the pipes enter our home, and where a new garage was planned to be built next summer. I dug up the side flowerbed and replanted the flowers in front of the house.

I had run the mower into some old stumps at various times, (I thought I cleared them, all right?) so since the heavy equipment was right there anyway, the contractor removed the evidence of my piloting mistakes while they were at it, along with a tree I actually missed, by the grace of God.

Another nice thing was that the workmen lived right down the road from us. We got to know our neighbors much better.

What looked like a mess turned out to benefit us. I have new flower beds, a leak-free plumbing system, a new driveway and the sight for our garage next year. The embarrassing evidence of my careless mowing and driving is gone. Also, the groundhog is no longer under our home.

Clearly God was showing me that He could fix our planning errors, take care of some maintenance problems, and remove nuisances, all while we were away. Of course I love the mess. Our loving God has made a mess into a masterpiece.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

Thank You, Lord.