I just love a good mystery. As a kid, I certainly watched my share of Scooby Doo and his Mystery Machine. As an adult, I’m drawn to those forensic shows that solve some cold case mystery with a dozen or so bits of DNA. I also love searching for clues to my genealogy, because it solves the mystery of myself and my family. But there’s another mystery that I find myself getting frustrated with more often than not…

Allow me to explain. Now, every story has a beginning where the messes begin to develop. And as the story continues, usually there’s more than one crisis or BIG mess that the characters must work their way through before the story comes to a conclusion, finds resolution, and hopefully results in evolution or transformation.

I think we often look at our messy moments and feel overwhelmed. I know I do! In those times, I think, this is just another fine mess I’ve gotten myself into! Or even worse, I’m never going to overcome this bad habit or that wrong attitude.

But lately, I’ve been hearing God whisper a new truth into my heart and He’s telling me …

In other words, God wants me to see that He’s going to help me through this mess. He wants me to recognize that He’ll help me to grow and become stronger through (not in spite of) this mess. He wants me to remember that He’s the great Redeemer! And what might be a mystery to me now in the middle, will be solved and resolved by Him one day.

I don’t know if this encourages you, but it encourages me. So whenever I’m feeling the waves of fear and failure tumbling over me, I remember this is just the middle of the story. And I realize that God is writing so much more to the story of my life. And I have a suspicion that He is writing so much more to your story too.

So if you are in the middle of excruciating and overwhelming pain, loss or frustration, then remember there is victory that is just ahead, if you will cling to Christ—“the Author and Perfector of your faith!”*

“I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”  Philippians 3:10-12 (NIV)

*Hebrews 12:2a (NIV)