Beyond the mess, a Master plan

Puddles, posts, stakes --
is it a hopeless mess?

In this case, the mess is not the remains of Hurricane Ike or a clear-cut forest, or a kid’s room; it’s a carefully thought-out project.

The fire station next door is getting a new home. We’ll be sorry to lose them, as the firemen have been good neighbors. The new location just around the corner, like any construction project, has plenty of interested observers.

First heavy equipment broke into chunks and removed the blacktop lot that had served for storing village vehicles.

By this weekend the pile driver had driven many posts into the excavated area leaving them sticking up at unexplainably odd and various heights. Flagged stakes sprout among the posts. Serious puddles increase as weekend rain continues. More posts remain to be pounded Monday. A newly delivered green porta-potty sits adjacent to a hill of excavated gravel.

In short, it’s a mess.

And this is where the planning comes in. An artist’s rendering fastened to the chain-link fence shows how the new fire station will look – more than double the space of their present quarters.

The vision that will
eventually replace the mess!

It’s important during the mud-and puddle-phase to keep the artist’s drawing in mind. Otherwise one might forget how to get from mess to beauty and utility. The foreman keeps the vision foremost in thought as each step is undertaken. He or she continually checks the blueprints to make sure the details are exactly as planned.

Anybody who’s remodeled, or painted their walls, or installed new flooring or carpets can appreciate the planned disorder that leads eventually to beauty and progress.

But what if the disorder in our lives isn't planned? Sometimes kids or adults go through rough times, maybe the result of poor decisions, or of ignorance.

Those feeling the brunt of Gustav or Ike, whether their address is Galveston, Houston, Cuba, or Haiti, might well feel their lives are in shambles.

It’s important to remember there is a Master plan for each of us, and what we are observing is not the end of the project. Our prayers can contribute to the steps that reveal that Master plan in each life.

The God who is infinitely intelligent Love knows what needs to happen to keep His/Her creation aligned with beauty, order, and goodness. This universal Mind ceaselessly acts as law for His/Her creation, moving each of us along to find our groove, our natural harmony with God and the universe.

So don’t give up on the mess in your life. Consult the Master plan, or find someone whose love and wisdom assures you that they understand it. Many feel Christ Jesus is one such individual.

Then make choices to move in the direction that conforms to that ideal. Be satisfied with one good step at a time. You will get there in one piece, maybe sooner than you think.

For helpful ideas about praying for those in the path of hurricanes, click here.