It looks pristine. Everything is in its proper place and cleaned. And a candle even burns with fragrant invitation.

But behind a closed door there is a basket of soiled laundry that needs to be washed. Hidden in a closet are bundles of clothing rumpled on the floor. Dishes are left in the dishwasher still unwashed. Around the corner, in another room and out of sight, the cat litter box smells of litter that needs to be changed.

Though it seems nice and orderly on the surface, it's really a stinking cluttered mess. Reality is the picture no one shares nor wants to see because showing off our messy places is taboo, improper, and embarrassing. Well, life is sometimes messy. It's often completely out of control. It's mostly less than perfect. And, sometimes, it even stinks.

We may do well hiding our messiness from everyone else, but God sees it all. He sees our nooks and our crannies—those parts we've hidden away. And He can smell the odor we've tried to cover up, and He knows why it's so unpleasant.

But our messiness is God's specialty. He's not embarrassed by it. He doesn't shun us or turn his nose up and away in disgust in response to our imperfection. Instead, He invites Himself in. And when we open the door, He walks in and sits down right in the middle of where we are at our worst. He reaches in and touches those areas of which we are most ashamed—those secret places where we hurt the most. Then He makes sure to not leave us in our chaos. He blesses our mess by changing it into something He can use for our good and for His purpose.

God, bless this mess!