When We are a Mess

I took out my camera the other day because Joy did not want me to wipe her face. I was going to take a picture of her and show it to her so that she could see how messy she was. When I got the camera out, she thought it was time to perform, so she began to sing. Knowing she would want to watch herself afterwards, I switched to record mode.

As I rewatched the video with her, I felt such a profound love for her and her innocence and dependance on me. I also noticed she wasn’t so sure she looked quite as cute with her smoothie mustache. She is at a very messy stage right now and she seems to spill things at least once at every meal.

The realization came to me that Heavenly Father sees His children in much the same way.  We may be dirty and messy.  We may spill and waste His gifts to us. He knows we can’t clean any of it up even if justice demands that we clean up our own messes. So He sent His Son. He makes us clean so we can learn and try again.

That great love I feel for my messy Joy, no matter how dirty she gets,  He feels for each of us (in greater abundance since He has a greater love capacity). He waits for us, free of resentment and full if love, to go to Him so He can make us clean. We sometimes feel like we are beyond help or that we are so far gone that he wouldn’t take us back now.  I couldn’t stop loving Joy,  no matter what she did. I know she will be messy again before long and that she will spill at the very next meal. But I still feed her and then clean up her mess.

To God, we are all little children.  His love for us is just as abundant no matter what we’ve done. He stands ready to make us clean as often as we need Him to.

I cleaned Joy up and wanted to get a picture of her in her pretty dress.  She, of course, began to sing again. I filmed again. This time she was happier as I replayed her performance. That is what God wants for us too. He wants to clean us up and help us be happy with ourselves as we slowly start to become aware of who we really are and our royal potential. We are His.

 “O [my son or daughter] whom I have spared, how oft will I gather you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if ye will repent and return unto me with full purpose of heart.” -3 Nephi 10:6