Perspective and Peace

 It's no secret that I am extraordinarily clumsy. In fact, I was voted "Most Likely to Have Freaky Accidents" in my handbell choir. I will say that I've been enjoying a nice, long streak of being accident-free. I broke, literally shattered, that streak yesterday morning. 

I know better than to be anywhere in our house without my glasses and some sort of footwear, but I was in a hurry to finish getting ready for the day. I was in our kitchen and had already made my post-run protein breakfast smoothie. I started making my morning coffee and reached over the smoothie glass to grab the container of collagen powder to add to my coffee cup. Without my glasses on, I misjudged my angle. I knocked over the smoothie glass, and it shattered all over the kitchen tile. Lots of glass. Lots of smoothie. 

I was too afraid to take a single step because I couldn't see well enough to avoid the glass. My field of vision was one, big blurry mess. Fortunately, my husband was in his home office at the time. I called him, and he immediately came to help. God bless him. 

The first words out of his mouth were not words of condemnation, insult, anger, nor shame. He simply said, "How can I help?" I asked him just to get me my glasses and my slippers so that I could see and safely move to begin the cleanup. After he retrieved my glasses and slippers, he stayed to help me gather the glass and mop up the mess. 

As I was mopping, sweeping, and vacuuming the kitchen, I said, "God, I'm sure there's a lesson here for me to learn, other than remembering to wear my glasses and slippers." I heard the Holy Spirit speak to me: "That's just like Jesus." 

When I make a mess of my life, when I am blinded and too afraid to take a single step, He is there. When I call Him, He comes immediately. He doesn't speak words of condemnation, insult, anger, nor shame. He doesn't just give advice and then walk away. He stays beside me, helping me with the cleanup. He clears my vision by offering His perspective, and He protects my feet with His peace and guides me in paths of righteousness. 

Oh, for grace to love Him more. And glasses and slippers.