The tangled cords

I was sitting quietly this morning (which can be amazing) and was thinking about life. I had this picture come to mind - my tangled headphone cord. I had to use it last night while I was sitting at a meeting that Penny had in Corning. I was just the driver so I sat in the back of the room reading and listening to music.

This morning, those tangled headphones popped into my mind. What a mess they were. I remember taking them and nicely winding them up so that they would be easily used later. And there they were, all tangled up. I had to spend time untangling them before I could use them.

And I thought - I am just like those headphones. The Lord takes me into His hand, neatly puts me together for His use, and there I am. Should be easy to remain so nicely put together. But somehow, I wind up all tangled up - in sin. I know how it happens. It is my sinful nature, the world around me and the temptations that come my way that tangle me up. I get all twisted up in my sin. I become a mess once again.

Like my headphones, I can't untangle myself. I look those headphones and think, "What happened to you. Untangle yourself." And they DON'T! They do not untangle themselves. They just lay there in my hand, a tangled mess, looking up at me as if to say, "I can't." That is me. I am those tangled headphones. Once put together so neatly only to tangle myself up in temptation and sin. I become a mess and I cannot untangle myself. I am a mess that just lays there. I might say, "I want to make things right. I want to be untangled." But that doesn't change the fact that I cannot. Like my headphones, I am a tangled mess.

Then the Lord takes hold of me and begins to lovingly untangle the mess of my life. I am not so loving with my headphones. I just untangle them, grumbling all the time.

The Lord doesn't grumble or complain about the mess I have become. He loves me. He cares for me. Little by little, knot by knot, He untangles me. He shows me the depth of His love for me as He lovingly takes apart my sinful mes and untangles me until I am whole again. I am then ready for Him to use me in His service, even as my headphones are ready to be used by me.

Thank You Lord, for continually showing me Your love by untangling the mess of sin that I get into day after day. You are so caring, so loving, so wonderful to me. I rest in Your hand knowing that You will continue to take care of me.

This time, Lord, I will not become tangled. (Yeah, right. Here I go again.)