Oh
I used to sing that little ditty, but oh mama... It was not true.
I
have scars from words that have lasted far longer than the bruises
and scrapes I got into as a child.
I have been sharing about the damage that labels can have in our lives. This stemmed from an over night youth girls only event that we recently had at our church. If you feel a bit lost while reading this, it might help if you read the previous post, "And this is Where my heart breaks..."
I
have a confession to make…
Each
time I stare at these blasted stones with their crushing words of condemnation my eyes begin to tear up.
Each one of these stones
represents a person who is living under its chains and bondage.
I
find myself holding each stone and praying,
“Dear God let this one know
she is loved.
Let
her know she is wanted.
That her past failures do not mean she is destined to fail forever.
Let
this precious daughter know she is worth our time, our love, and efforts."
Can
you imagine these being the defining labels in your life?
Have
you been there? Do you remember when?
I do.
And
my heart breaks and my soul cries out,
“Who
will advocate for them?
Who
will defend their worth?
Who
will stand in the gap?”
You?
Me?
I
mean we can try, but the the bill to be paid is too big for just you
and me my friends.
Except
there is someone.
I
know Him, and believe me when I say He gets it... In fact
He's has been there.
His
friends left him. They didn’t stick around when the chips began to
fall and the pressure hit. When the people yelled false accusations
at him...
His friends weren't there to defend his honor.
When
he was being beaten and whipped, mocked and spit upon...
While
people yelled for his death his friends hid in the shadows and
watched in fear. Some claimed they didn’t even know him.
As
the skin on his back was ripped away by the glass and metal barbs
connected to the end of the Roman Guard's whip, he held firm.
When
the crown with piercing thorns more than an inch long was driven into the
flesh around his head. He kept each of us in locked in His heart.
When
they threw the cross upon his back with wounds gaping open down to
the very bones, he soldiered on seeing each of our faces before him.
As
the spikes were driven between his wrists, and ankle bones connecting
him to the roughly hewn and splintered wooden cross. His blood and
love poured out forgiveness for us all.
I
still find myself humbled and in awe over Jesus.
Taking on my sin, my most wretched moments, my labels, my own destructive
ways, and then He willingly paid their price putting them to death so that I could walk
free.
Me...
Little
old me.
And
you too my friends.
And,
here is the hard part...
He
also died for the lady who was rude to you in the store the other
day. The guy who cut you off in traffic, and even the bully in your
class who pushed you into the mud while mocking you...
He died for the
one who is in a relationship with someone of the same sex, and the
guy who swooped in and broke up your marriage.
He
died for the druggie mom who forgot to feed her kids because she was
too stoned, and even the one who is sitting in a church pew today
thinking they have it all together because they don't look like,
“that guy”.
Amazingly, He
died for each and everyone of us so that we could be...
FREE
Free through Him...
Free through Him...
His
life. His death. His resurrection.
All
because He loved us. This Holy, Perfect, and Righteous God wants to
spend eternity with us. We didn't ask him to pay this price. We
definitely did not deserve this sacrifice, but He did it so that we
could have the choice...
And
this turns me into a bleary eyed mess.
How
can I not begin to see others with God's eyes filtered through love,
grace, and truth.
I
find it amazing that if we choose to live our lives for Him, and love
like Him then one day, His glorious light of truth will spread
through our love.
Out
of the crumbling walls, and heaps of rubble and wreckage... Through
beautiful tears of repentance there springs forth a beautiful
rebellion to combat the misery and lies of this world.
It
rises up from the dirt birthed by this undeserved grace and pure
enveloping love.
Once
again Hope blooms.
There
at the foot of the cross a new label is born from this sweet and
blessed truth.
“I
am LOVED.”
A
new cornerstone for our foundation.
“I
am Loved”
Do
you know this my friends?
Say
it out loud with me.
"I
am Loved!"
Are
you with me friends?
We
are loved by an amazing and all powerful God and it is an everlasting and amazing love.
Isn't
it beautiful?
So
today, will you choose to see past the labels in others and listen to
their story?
Love
them right where they are at and live out love the way Jesus did?
Can
we make this choice friends to do this right now this week, and the
next, and the next, to be Jesus to others?
Will you join me?
Linking with these wonderful places, take a moment and visit them... Inspire Me Mondays, Wednesdays Word, Thought Provoking Thursdays, Telling His Story, Faith Filled Friday, Soli Deo Gloria Party
