Life is Messy

When I get frustrated with the way events are going in life, I often throw out the phrase that "Life is messy." It just seems to wrap it all up and it makes me feel like I have power over whatever helplessness I am experiencing at the time. For the most part, this is pretty effective for me, and it seems to help take some of the edge off of my frustrations. If I am talking to a friend about some of the issues they are struggling with, this little phrase just hits a brick wall. This leads me to another phrase I often use to summarize others around me.

"No matter what exterior another person is showing to me or others, they ultimately are a fragile person like anyone else." So what happens when messy meets fragile? I suppose how one chooses to answer this question shows what they believe (How's that for a profound statement?).

Today, my answer to "messy meets fragile," is that life can suck. Theologically we step back and state that the world is fallen and the consequences of sin are all around us. Okay, but it still sucks. I am not stating this out of hopelessness, but out of frustration. "Life is messy" hit the brick wall with a conversation I had with someone today, and I just want their fragility protected more than I know how to protect it. I guess that is why we are asked to "mourn with those who mourn," not fix everything...