There’s this satisfaction I get when I catch all the green lights on my drive to work. It’s like I’m trying to make it in record time! 

But a few Fridays ago, I was actually relieved when I caught a red light and had a few more moments to myself before the rush of my workday began. 

I had been feeling the weight of a couple of very heavy situations surrounding me. The red light gave me some time to pause and think…and a moment to hear God speak. 

Like manna from Heaven, God dropped Proverbs 14:4 into my heart. 

“Where there is no oxen, the manger is clean, but an abundant harvest comes through the strength of the oxen.” 

It’s a strange verse, I know (especially for a suburban girl like myself). I’m no livestock subject matter expert…but my childhood trips to my Ammachi’s (grandmother’s) farm in India have given me enough insight to work with. 

You see, oxen are messy. Oxen are smelly. But like the verse says, strength comes through the oxen.

God reminded me that the messiest seasons of my life were also the most defining seasons of my life. They were seasons I wouldn’t have picked for myself, but looking back, they were seasons I wouldn’t have traded…and so it will be for the messy situations I am staring at today. 

Perhaps you are also in the middle of a mess, and to put it bluntly, life really stinks. 

I get it, no one enjoys coasting through life (and through those green lights) more than this girl! Be encouraged, my friend, and allow Proverbs 14:4 to take root in your heart and give you the comfort you need. 

“Where there is no oxen, the manger is clean, but an abundant harvest comes through the strength of the oxen.” 

Hang in there, God’s strength will come from our mess. 

~Binu