Saturday, March 30, 2013

And this is Where my heart breaks...Part 2. there is hope.

Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me…
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...

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 MondaysWednesdays WordThought Provoking ThursdaysTelling His StoryFaith Filled FridaySoli Deo Gloria Party

29 comments:

  1. this was absolutely beautiful friend... <3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. His love story really is. Hugs to you my friend!

      Delete
  2. Wonderful thoughts! This post is very close to what I've been thinking about lately. I want to stop focusing on all that I'm not, and focus on God's nature, which He gives to me. HE defines me. Amen.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love how you put that, "He defines me" Amen Elizabeth!

      Delete
  3. Heather,
    This is beautiful. I really liked how you moved along in your thinking - I followed every word. God loves everyone and that is why He told us to love our enemies - because He loves them too.
    I love this: 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..
    Blessings to you,
    Janis www.janiscox.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for your encouragements Janis. This is very dear to my heart... or rather the Lord's heart. Praying for more and more of the body of Christ to remember to LOVE like He did. Myself included ;)

      Delete
  4. So beautiful, so convicting, so true. Praise God that we are a new creation in Him -- our self-loathing replaced by His infinite love, transformed from His enemies to God's children, joint heirs with Him, and even His bride. His new Name is forever written in our hearts.
    Thanks so much for visiting and commenting on Saved by Grace!
    Your blog is a blessing and I am now following it, and I invite you to follow Saved by Grace also:
    http://savedbygracebiblestudy.blogspot.com/
    Love in Him,
    Laurie Collett

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for visiting Laurie. Even in your comments your words are poetically stirring. I will hop back over to see you! :)

      Delete
    2. Thanks so much, Heather, for your kind words & for following! God bless,
      Laurie

      Delete
  5. Linking up after you at Thought Provoking Thursday - what a difficult thing to do, to share the labels and names that one has lived with - and also, what a beautiful thing to do, to help others know the truth, and the names that God calls us. Your love for others just shines through - thanks for pointing others to Jesus.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. God was so amazing in the ways He was moving that night. What a gift He gives us with His love and sacrifice. Thank you for your encouraging words Cherry.

      Delete
  6. Yes...a resounding YES. We ARE loved. Beautiful words here...thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Amazing. Your words. Thank you so much!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thank you Susan! God's love is absolutely amazing. :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh my word this is an amazing post. I love that you did that with your youth girls, I've been mulling over the idea of doing a girls day (we have a small youth group) and hitting on topics like that. This would be an awesome illustration to use.

    Thanks for stopping by my blog:) Loved that I found your blog through UBP 2013!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Emily! We do a big all night event for our girls once a year full of wild and crazy make-overs, and girl band dance contests, but also full of moments for reflection, healing, and hearing God's truth about His view/plans for them. If you would ever want to bounce ideas off of each other I would love it. :) We have a smaller youth group too, but honestly this night not only ministers to our girls, but they love bringing friends to this. It is always amazing what happens when you remove the teen guys from the equation. God then has more of their focus. I will be praying for your girls night! Thank you for working with teens! :)

      Delete
  10. Hi Heather! As a counselor, I've done this exercise with women who've embraced and allowed these labels to deeply wound them their entire lives. {And I've certainly had more than a few myself!} I just can't thank you enough for working with these precious girls and helping them to know who they are in Christ... Deeply, unconditionally loved by the Creator of the universe! You're making an eternal difference in their lives!
    Blessings to you ~ Mary

    I'm so glad you stopped by my place!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for this encouragement your words mean more than you could know. God is so so good. I really enjoyed your site and it's purpose! I am so excited to read more from you :)

      Delete
  11. Heather,

    For the past few weeks, I've been reflecting on "things that make God's heart break" and the things you've described in your past few posts rank high on His list, I'm sure!

    Thank you for writing such important and eloquent posts. I tweeted your blog & hope you will share them with us at Inspire Me Monday (I know you stopped by for a visit but wasn't sure if you linked them up!)

    Create With Joy
    http://create-with-joy.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow! Thank you for your words of affirmation and for sharing it on twitter. Thank you even more so for having a heart for the Lord that you share with others. I truly enjoy your website and the way you are pointing to the Lord, through encouraging others through art and creativity and by promoting their work in your link-ups. It's a beautiful ministry.

      Delete
  12. Yes the devil is a liar and too many of us are in bondage because we listen to him and make the labels ours. I should be on the lookout for women who wear these labels and see what I can do so they can be freed. Kind of hard since a lot of women wear masks and you think they are fine! Thanks for sharing!

    Patsy from
    HeARTworks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Patsy, I agree, and those masks are just a bad... I bet you could do an amazing piece of art to represent it though. :) And then you could reach women exponentially. Love your art work and messages!

      Delete
  13. Beautiful, Heather. Those labels are heartbreaking, and so many people believe them. Thank you for the reminder of our Hope, He who gives us a new name. (And thanks for the David Crowder song too!)

    Found you through your link at Janis Cox's Wednesday's Word. I'll be back! God bless!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for visiting Janet! I will be hopping over to visit you too. I really enjoy Janis's link-ups.

      Delete
  14. Beautiful!!!!
    I love that David Crowder song. It makes my heart happy. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Me too! I think I post this song on at least one of my blogs every other month...I just can't help myself. Oh goodness! ;)

      Delete
  15. This is such a strong post.

    Even as I journey with Christ, I realize that I struggle with many of these labels, especially ugly, unloved, alone, unfulfilled....etc.

    I try to let go and trust in God, but it can be a journey. I think for us, it's best if as children we had a good foundaition with parents helping us to know that we are loved and cared for.

    And I love David Crowder band!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That devil is such a liar. I have struggled with some of those labels as well. I like how you put it, letting go and trusting God is a journey. And your point about children having a good foundation of knowing their parents love them/care for them is so very true. Great points Colette. I am glad we share some more in common with the David Crowder band! ;)

      Delete