Oh Cleanser of the Mess I've Made

I need the Savior every single day. For so many reasons but mostly because I am so mortal and I need help with the messes I create. I forget to trust Him sometimes. I complain. My heart isn't always where it needs to be when praying or reading scriptures. Sometimes I'm not "Mother of the Year" (a lot I'm not Mother of the Year) Every once in a while I'm not the perfect spouse (that is probably more than every once in a while too) I've even been known to flub up the sister role, the daughter role, the friend role, the neighbor role...you get the picture. I am not even close to being perfect. I have a long way to go.

A Book of Mormon prophet named Nephi felt this same way at times. He wrote:

 17 Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities.

 18 I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me.

 19 And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted.

 20 My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep.

 21 He hath filled me with his love... (2 Nephi 4:17-21)

So with Nephi I write, "I know in whom I have trusted!"
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I love the words to this song. They express the thoughts of my heart on many occasions.

 

For All You’ve Done by Mercy River

Oh cleanser of the mess I’ve made 

(I love this description of the Savior - He has helped me clean up some sticky messes and He will most likely have to help me clean up more before my earth life is over.)

Upon the hill our places trade

(I'm the one who deserves to be punished for my sins - not the perfect Savior. 

But He traded places with me.)

Stretched on a cross Your body crushed

By human hands You formed from dust

How wonderful Your mercy is

How awesome are Your ways 
(awesome means "to inspire awe" - I am truly awed by what the Lord has done)

I come, I come

To worship You

For all You’ve done

Oh cleanser of the mess I’ve made

Your boundless love for me portrayed

With patience for my learning curve  

(I don't know about the rest of you, but I seem to need to be taught the same lessons over and over. The Lord is incredibly patient with me)

By holding back what I deserve 

(He certainly holds back the punishments I deserve - He took those punishments for me in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the Cross.)

How wonderful Your mercy is

How awesome are Your ways

I come, I come

To worship You

For all You've done

Oh cleanser of the mess I’ve made

With everything at Your feet laid 

 (I'm learning that the only way to really make it day to day is to lay everything weighing on me at the Savior's feet and let Him make something beautiful out of it all.)

I watch as all my cares erode (It happens. Truly it does.)

And from my soul these words explode

How wonderful Your mercy is

How awesome are Your ways

I come, I come

To worship You

For all You've done

For all He has done, what does He ask in return?

"If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15)

"Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind..." (Doctrine and Covenants 64:24)

and when we lay our imperfect hearts and untrained minds at his feet (which is done by keeping His commandments), He will make those hearts and those minds beautiful - because that is what He does and it is what He loves to do.