Going from messiness to beauty

By Ellen Shuck

How often have you said, "My life is in a mess; I don't know what I'll do"? You've sighed and even become depressed at your plight.

You were confronted with a mass of vomit to clean up. "O-o-o," you said, as you held your nose and clutched your own stomach. Rather than run from the scene in disgust, you proceeded with what you must do. It was a child, an ill person or someone else about whom you cared. That was the beauty part of it -- the lovely gesture of another person enduring unattractive and uncomfortable situations because of his love for another. It is all part of being a caring person in the world of humanity. You had enjoyed the company and companionship of the individual when he/she felt well, and they held a place in your heart. You helped turn the messiness into beauty and goodness because of your kind act.

I visited a man recently who disliked his place of residence. He felt he could do little for himself because his health was failing, and he was no longer physically strong and vibrant. He felt helpless. As I sat talking with him, he in his recliner with feet upon a foot stool and I stationed in a nearby chair, I tried to cheer him because he has a tendency to become negative and give up. "My life is in a mess," he offered. I took the opportunity to allow him to talk about his genuine feelings and asked why he believed that. He outlined his grievances. What he said was a continuation of his reply when I first arrived and noticed the discounted look on his face. "You don't look happy," I said. "I'm not happy," he replied.

The conversation kept going as I attempted to get him to see that everybody's life becomes messy sometimes. He thought he had nothing for which to be happy. I pointed out that he could look forward to three meals a day that were served to him, someone to deliver his medicine on time, a warm place in the winter and an air-conditioned environment during the hot days of summer. People visited him regularly and took him places. I recalled those things, too, and realized I have much for which to be thankful. When you recollect the blessings you're heir to, you find you live in a paradise of sorts without realizing it.

Life indeed is messy, but that messiness can be turned into beauty.

Look at a brick house. When the brick is being laid, the mortar is definitely unattractive, as are the unfinished rooms. When the debris is cleaned up and the building completed, what a beautiful sight to behold! Without the initial mess, you would not have a house, period. Such is the case with most of life.

Eric refused to empty the kitty litter pan. The more you pleaded with him, the more obstinate he became. "No," he said. "That's messy and it stinks. You do it." His mom came back with, "You wanted a cat, didn't you? Cleaning the litter is all a part of owning a cat" -- just another example of the messiness of life, but also the beauty that ensues. It's like you take the bad with the good. Consequently, life isn't all beauty and graciousness, but if you look at your blessings and the good you receive, you'll find the beauty and love that often are hidden beneath the dirt and grime.

The beauty of birth is not found in the process. Rather, the wonder and awesomeness are found in the dawning of a new person.

You can share in the spread of beauty by adopting St. Paul's treatise on love. "Love is patient and kind and always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres" (1 Corinthians 13; 4-7). Don't become bogged down by discomfort and dissatisfaction; instead, lift yourself up and search the beauty that's close behind.