sweet suburbia true stories from Marietta

We need all the pieces

We naturally value order and de-clutter, but love is not neat and clean so neither is family. "I love that our garage is full of kids toys," Megan said as we pulled in, our kids dead to the world asleep in their seats. She was serious about the big wheel stacked atop a scooter leaning against a Spiderman bike leaning against the back wall.

This is our merry life. Soccer balls buried and brown in old leaves, a swing hanging from a retired climbing rope hanging from a branch on the Maple in our front yard, a plastic swimming pool reassigned as a sled for sliding down the hillside pine island in our front yard. Tunnels made from couch cushions, blankets everywhere, piles of stuffed animals, rogue Legos. Dirty shirt sleeves from Benjamin's food, and other, wipings.

Love is not safe, clean, orderly, efficient, but all the pieces are important to make love real.

When Christ became flesh and dwelt among us, no one could hide their humanity from Him and still today He brings all the pieces—ugly, smelly, human—to light and says "now we know what we have to work with." And He goes to work.

And through me and in me, and in any of those who are His, He works in the rubble, in the dark corners of our homes where we think no light could reach.

Amen.