08/10/2025
We made it to the front door.
After wrestling through the morning—two kids dressed, socks and shoes hunted down, teeth brushed, faces washed, hair combed, bellies fed—and only running five minutes behind, I counted it a mild success.
Keys in hand, I turned to glance back.
The living room stared at me: plastic blocks scattered across the rug, a mound of unfolded laundry slouched on the couch, library books and coloring pages spilling over the coffee table. My stomach sank.
We were late for church, and my house was a mess. Why couldn’t I get it together? Hadn’t I promised myself last Sunday that this Sunday would be the time I finally got it right? Yet here I was, coming up short…again.
In the South, there’s no shortage of churches. On the drive home from our own church, we waited at a red light. Across the street, the sign of church on the corner caught my eye:
COME AS YOU ARE
It was meant to describe a dress code, but in that moment, it felt like more.
I thought of the contrast between Mary and Martha. Both knew their duties, both loved their Lord. But while Mary chose to drop everything even if it wasn't perfect, Martha found the merit of working to get it all right more appealing—nearly missing out on what truly mattered most.
More often than not, my eagerness to worship on Sunday mornings devolves into a to-do list that leaves me frustrated at too many items left unchecked. But the beautiful reality is this: from the very beginning, the Sabbath—a day of rest—was meant as a gift from God.
Like Adam and Eve, Mary and Martha...you and I are invited—no matter how many goals we’ve met or what we’ve accomplished—to spend time with Jesus, resting in His grace and His goodness wherever we fall short.
So, if you feel like you can’t get it together—on Sunday morning or any other day—know that God desires you. Not your laundry, folded KonMari style. Not your TikTok-worthy organized refrigerator, or even a dish-less sink. You.
And our way of worshipping is to hand Him our imperfect homes and imperfect lives, knowing He is the Perfector of all things messy.
Happy Sunday.
Jesus loves you.
-C.
