Brokenness Aside.

I can't shake what happened during worship out of my head. When the offertory music began to fill the sanctuary, a half full cup of coffee spilled underneath the first pew.

In an instant a couple of our high school boys were on their feet, rushing out to get paper towels to clean up the coffee. There were giggles and hushes and muffled, embarrassed laughter over the coffee spilling.

All the while the offertory music playing in the background.

The boys awkwardly rushed back in attempting to soak up the coffee as quietly and cautiously as possible. For a few moments all I could do was take it in and watch. Watch their reaction...the students around them...my eyes darting back to my friends in the band leading the worship song, and suddenly, I found myself putting my hand gently on their shoulders telling the boys to stop. "It's alright," I whispered. We'll figure it out later."

Then the words of the song that had been filling the room hit me...

Will your grace run out
If I let you down 
‘Cause all I know
Is how to run

‘Cause I am a sinner 
If its not one thing its another
Caught up in words 
Tangled in lies 
You are the Savior 
And you take brokenness aside
And make it beautiful 
Beautiful 

Will you call me child
When I tell you lies 
Cause all I know 
Is how to cry 

I am a sinner 
If its not one thing its another 
Caught up in words 
Tangled in lies 
You are the Savior 
And you take brokenness aside
And make it beautiful 
Beautiful 


A half glass of spilled coffee on the carpet was a reminder of something bigger. How often do we enter into worship trying to hide our messes. How often do we sit before our Creator trying to cover up the mistakes & sit in denial of the sin that sometimes consumes us. How easy is it to think we have to come to worship...to our church family without the messiness of our everyday lives. It seems easier to hide it, to tuck it away for an hour before facing it again.

What if instead of hiding it behind polite "Good Mornings" and handshakes, we wrapped ourselves in the reminder that Our Savior takes the brokenness...takes the spills and the messes...that He puts it aside and turns our lives into beauty through His grace.

Sometimes, I need those tangible reminders that it's okay to just stop and sit before my Father in the midst of my mess. That He walks with me and holds me even when I am too stubborn to surrender and try to clean it all up on my own.

Coffee comes up out of the carpet & the grace and forgiveness of Jesus is real in the midst of the messes and spills.