And while I know the little scribe meant Miss Ann, the poignant misspelling spoke to my heart on some complicated days.
Mess Brenda, I love you.
It seems extravagant beyond belief,
To be a mess, and to be loved.
Wouldn’t that be a note to cherish above all others?
But there is One
who whispers this very truth in my disbelieving ear.
And His message is written long and clear in His Book,
page after page
of promise and Presence and prodigal love.
This funny scrawled message with the smudged letters is the Bible in five words:
Mess Brenda, I love you.
The message is for you too. Go ahead; try it on for size.
Put your name there, between the mess and the love –
Mess_______ I love you.
How does that sound? How does that feel?
Wrap that message around your heart, hold it tight, and on the hardest days, remember.
You are a mess.
And you are loved.
You are so, so loved.