Good Morning Gorgeous,

It’s a brand new day. A fresh start. And because of Jesus, when we repent, we are fully forgiven, fully cleansed, fully healed, and fully set free. He gathers us up to Himself and dresses our wounds gently. He speaks to the broken places. He brushes off our knees. He stands us back up straight. He squares out our shoulders, and He readies us for whatever lies ahead.

He loves us with an everlasting love. and He can handle all of our “junk”. He will embrace you just as you are. He will run to meet you when you come back home. He will create a banquet in your honor when you return after a time away from Him. He is ready and willing to receive you. He was born for you and he died for you.

Yesterday was the most interesting of mornings. I have the weakest stomach. Many moms I know have stomachs of steel. They can handle throw up and snot like champions. Not this girl. I do what I gotta do when the situation arises, but it’s not easy. I am usually gagging and my eyes are watering as I try to stop myself from getting sick and adding to whatever mess I am trying to clean.

We were driving to school and Brycen had a plate of mini pancakes on his lap. Bentley had already eaten breakfast, but he asked for a pancake. Brycen gave him a little bit of a hard time, and then handed over the pancake. Bentley shoved it in his mouth, inhaled it, and asked for another. Which turned into another negotiation between the brothers. Finally, Bentley armed with another mini pancake did it again. He shoved it in whole and tried to chew it. It was too much for his little mouth this time, and he started gagging and all the pancakes ended up on his blanket. Thank goodness for that blanket! It was pretty disgusting, but as I pulled into school, I put on my game face and went into the backseat. I cleaned it the best I could while reassuring Bentley that he was okay.

8 minutes now until the bell rings and I have to be at my post. I am feeling proud of my cleaning accomplishment. Kids are getting out of the car, backpacks are being put on, lunch boxes are handed over, and we head for the school.

5 minutes until the bell rings. As we cross the parking lot, Brycen says, “Help!” I look over at him and there is a huge booger hanging out of his nose. He wants to go back to the van. We are closer to school than the van, so I tell him we can grab a tissue from the bathroom. He disagrees and wants to go back. He gets frustrated with me and wipes the huge booger and snot on his shirt. He gives me a proud smile like he solved his problem himself. “No Brycen, not on your shirt. Come on, I’ll clean it off in the bathroom.”

3 minutes until the bell rings. Finally, he is walking toward school again. I am telling him, “Look the bathroom is right there. We got this.” I run into the bathroom to grab toilet paper, a paper towel, something! I turn around and the booger is gone! That thing was huge and it is gone, baby, goooone.

“Brycen, where is the booger?” He just smiles. “Brycen, the booger is gone. Where did it go?” The shirt is clean. Too clean. Booger gone, snot gone, and my kiddo is happy as a clam. He solved his own problem yet again. “Brycen, where is the booger?!” It doesn’t matter now. I know exactly what he did with it, and my stomach is turning. I am trying not to think about it as we start walking to class. I am trying hard not to gag.

1 minute until the bell rings. We have arrived at our regular parting space. I look at my sweet Brycen who just ate a booger and licked his shirt clean, and I love him right through it. There’s nothing gonna stop me from embracing my son and kissing him goodbye as he heads to class for the day. No yuckiness on him could keep me from him. Even when its hard, I will clean his messes and embrace him through it. My love is not based on what he does or doesn’t do. My love is constant. Always here and he can count on me.

If I can love my son that way, how much deeper and farther and perfectly can our Father in heaven love us!

In the story of the prodigal son, the boy had been living in complete filth, and he was taking care of pigs. When he returned home to his father, he was probably covered in the filth and stench of his lifestyle. Yet the father RAN to him, and EMBRACED him, KISSED him, and then proceeded to give him the very best of what he had.

Jesus was born a humble, beautiful, miraculous birth to set into motion a beautiful redemption story that ends with us being able to run right into the Father’s Arms covered in filth, and He will meet us and embrace us and cleanse us. Nothing separates us from the love of God. Nothing.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for Your goodness! Thank You for loving us right through, during, and after our messiest moment. Thank You for Your incredible birth, death, and resurrection. In Jesus’s name, Amen.