Written when Eden was a baby:
This morning I woke up to something I really didn’t want to see. Eden had overflowed. It was the 2nd day in a row after an already tiresome morning. I peeked at her laying in her playpen and sighed loudly, “again.” She looked up at me with wide blue eyes, watching me in anticipation for an embrace and milk.
I unclothed her and drew some warm water for a bath. Leaving her with my mom for a moment, I went downstairs to make a bottle. After placing her in the bath I gave her the bottle and began to gently pour water over her skin and hair. She drank deeply as I worked. I then massaged lavender scented shampoo in her curly dark brown hair and then began squeezing lemon shea perfumed body wash over her. A thought came to my mind, “breakfast & a bath at the same time. I don’t think she’s ever had both in a moment?” Taking her bottle away I rinsed her off and set her snuggly on my parents’ king size bed. I dried her off quickly so she could return to eating. She laid down peacefully and finished off her bottle while I lathered creamy baby lotion over her.
I put on a lovely purple and gray ballerina dress on her and took her downstairs. She sat on my winter ruby red blanket with sheep fur and I reached for the baby oil. As I dripped some oil on her head I remembered my mom’s words when she saw me do it for the first time, “it’s like you’re anointing her lol. Most people put the baby oil in their hand first and then rub it in.” Carefully I ran my fingers through her oiled hair and then took out her brush.
As I stroked her hair a soft loving realization came to me. Eden soiled herself & instead of receiving judgment she was cleansed, pampered and dressed. I realized that if she hadn’t wet her onesie, then I wouldn’t have given her a bath today. She wouldn’t have received fresh milk as I cleaned her. Her hair wouldn’t be oiled. I would have waited a day or two later when she wasn’t clean to wash her. I felt God’s love in the events of the morning.
So many times when I find myself stained in my own mess (relational, physical, emotional, etc) I often find that I don’t look up at God the way Eden looked at me this morning. She expected goodness. And she received a more lush morning because of her mess. As I look back on my life…there have been so many times where God as a good Father met me in my mess & gave me such gracious care that I left better for it.
I’m not saying making a mess is a good thing…but rather God’s goodness overwhelms our messes so that they don’t linger to us. In fact, He clothes us in rich apparel and oils our heads. No one looking at us would guess where we’ve been. Expect mercy today instead of judgment. Love is close. And Love cannot help but give to His children…He responds graciously to our messes.
“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” ~Isaiah 1:18
~If you’ve enjoyed this short devotion, check out my book Visions of Celestial Love. It’s filled with mini devotions just like this one. Enjoy a cup of coffee, a pumpkin spice latte or a cup of herbal tea as you savor each moment with Father.
“When I read Visions of Celestial Love, it is as if I am brought down to my knees to worship. What the Holy Spirit has done in and through Ashley, He is doing also in me. What a wonderful experience. It is very rich. Thank you for sharing the treasure.”—Riko Suci Alam, CEO of Ligar Jaya and owner of Clove Garden hotel in Bandung Indonesia.