In his Advent devotional – Low: An Honest Advent Devotional – John Pavlovitz greets us, regarding this time of year, with, “Welcome the mess.” As odd as that sounds, it really resonated with me.
That is, we paint a Norman Rockwellian picture of how this season should be with people behaving perfectly. We expect people to be kind and friendly and for this season to be full of hope, peace, joy, and love but often our real lives are much messier. Our real lives include us carrying the baggage of failed plans, stressful relationships, and internal strife. People are often at their worst (in terms of behavior) this time of year and many of us have the scars to prove it! Pavlovitz describes these things as collateral damage for living.
There is comfort for me when I realize that I don’t have to be perfect to be at The Palms. The hope comes for me when I realize that God wants the real me, my authentic self, not the fake image of me I try to hide behind.
Bring your flawed self to The Palms; here you will find imperfect pastors and congregants trying to make a positive difference in a confusing time. Do your best to bring your real self; you don’t need to hide or throw away the messiness of your life. My hope is that you will find compassion and a kindred heart within the people you meet at The Palms. Welcome the mess.
Shalom, Paul