I have this stain remover I adore for prewashing. Just spray it on, rub with some water till your heart is content, and throw it into the machine regular cycle. Never has it not worked. I'm talking bubble gum, spaghetti sauce, mud, grass, grape juice, and playdoh...
But this isn't a commercial for my wonderful spot cleaner. There are deeper stains. Even some your momma can't rub out. Been a good girl all my life. Can I just say, I'VE GOT SOME STAINS. You may know me, so there, now you know I have some things... I watch how the world churns it's way around, wondering if we look like the part we should play. Me too. Look out among your community. Is it thriving? Is it hopeful? Is there joy, true joy, underneath the lip gloss smiles and $50 kids shoes? There could be, no doubt. Because joy can live in bright places. But just in case we start kidding ourselves, joy sometimes hides way below the surface. The biggest jewel to find. Once you sort through the muck and yuck.
Is it okay to have those scars? From the things we wouldn't chat about? It scares me to think that someone is stepping into our holiday season thinking that I don't have scars, never needed grace, and would never have walked in their shoes. As we quote our blessings and rightly so, we cannot bare to leave this one out: grace can cover us ALL. Not just the ones with big families to gather around or houses full of hardwood floors and beautiful untouchables or smiling faces that indeed are precious to our Heavenly Father or groups of ladies that meet at church weekly... Let us not leave anyone out. I would say I pray to keep fear out of my heart for all kinds of things. The biggest one yet is coming across to someone like I have it all together, leaving the Cross as something I never needed.
Lord Almighty, we are in your hands. You made us. You knit us together in the womb. You know us. Please help us open our eyes and hearts this blessed season to those things not so pretty. The reasons you came. Help us experience pure and true joy in the Heavenly sense, seeing the world through your lens. If you want us to reach out farther than we ever have give us strength to do it. Help us lean on you and be real, sharing people. Give me abilities and strengths that you can use to further your kingdom. I am a blessed child of yours, so thankful for the cross. I am praying in the power of the holy name of Jesus. Amen.
We probably agree about our children. Babies, preschoolers, preteens, teens, and young adults. The whole spectrum of age ranges has its difficulties and blessings. I'm here to propose we look at the difficulties as blessings. Our families and close friends. Our acquaintances. Our homes and full cabinets. Seeing eyes light up with excitement, a long hug, a warm blanket...the list is unstoppable. Be thankful, and I will join in that. I challenge all of us to not only recall our thanks, but to reach out to lost and desperate ones that His grace covers. They just don't know it.
