Practicing the Presence | Prompt 5: A Mess

“Capture a mess: crumbs, art supplies, or an unmade bed.”

Sometimes the mess is the most honest part of our day: the pile of laundry that hasn’t been folded, the sink that refuses to stay empty, the table covered with crayons, half-finished projects, and yesterday’s crumbs.

We’re so quick to clean, to hide, to smooth things over before anyone sees. But what if, just for a moment, you didn’t? What if you looked at the mess and asked, “Could God be here, too?”

Because the truth is, the mess tells a story. It is evidence of our humanness, and of God’s presence in it.

What Is “Practicing the Presence”?

Practicing the presence means learning to notice God right where you are, finding grace in the middle of what’s real.

Brother Lawrence, the monk who gave us this phrase, found God while scrubbing pots and cleaning floors. He wrote that the kitchen, filled with clatter and noise, became as holy to him as the chapel.

Holiness, it turns out, is not about neatness. It’s about nearness.

Try This

Look around today.
What is beautifully, honestly messy in your space?

The breakfast dishes? The paint-smeared table? The pile of laundry that means you have clothes to wear and people to care for?

Pause before you tidy up. Take a photo to remember that God dwells even here.

Ask yourself:

• What does this mess say about the life happening here?

• What might God want to show me through it?

• How can I see grace, not guilt, when things aren’t tidy?

The mess isn’t failure. It’s evidence of love, movement, and the ongoing story of a God who meets us in the middle of it all.