Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Shelley Schurch
Sunday, June 28, 2026
I have to laugh when I walk by this little neighborhood tree, with its different-colored branches wildly bursting out in all directions. It lacks discipline and constraint; the word I thought of when I saw it last week was “unkempt.”
My research discovered that “unkempt” literally means “not combed,” and is usually used to describe something that is untidy, messy, or neglected.
When I laugh at this little unkempt tree, there is not even a trace of derision or scorn in my mind; I have no contempt for unkempt! Because, you see, I can relate. I laugh because sometimes I feel like this little tree looks.
This past week is a prime example. We helped with our Vacation Bible School. We prepared in advance, yet every day this week was filled with more preparation, and every evening we helped at the event itself. I enjoyed every minute of it.
But while we were immersed in all this, some aspects of my “usual” life became a bit neglected, unkempt. I will be in recovery mode this coming week, but it was worth it.
My “unkempt” research led me to another word that is a close cousin – “unkept.” Several commentators urged me to be careful to remember that “unkempt” is commonly used to describe a person, while “unkept” is more often used to describe places – or promises.
It was the latter that caught my eye. Suddenly, God appears, our Promise Keeper:
You will keep in perfect peace
those whose minds are steadfast,
because they trust in you. (Isaiah 26:3)
Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.
For you, Lord, have delivered me from death, my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living. (Psalm 116:7-9)
Promises that God will keep us in His care are threaded throughout the Bible, reassurances that we are always on His mind and in His heart. No matter how unkempt our lives may feel, we are kept. We can pray, along with David:
Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings . . . (Psalm 17:8 NIV))
You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. (Psalm 18:28)