Brand New

Today I mowed the yard, in my favorite pair of pink Nike's...bright pink, lime green, black, and white to be exact. I love these shoes, and though I don't wear them that often, except to the air conditioned- no speck of dirt to be found-indoor gym...I love the absolute girliness of them. Did I mention that I love these shoes? So why did I wear them to cut the grass you ask? Well it wasn't my original intention, I went to the back yard for something else, but when I saw the horror of the emerging jungle that used to be my backyard, I decided a girl had to do what she had to do. But really, I blame the pollen,and the allergy medicine I had recently taken. So fast forward, let's say approximately an hour or so, and their I am frantically scrubbing at my favorite shoes,who's pearly white bottoms are now stained a ghastly shade of green-grass green to be exact-a shade that just does not match anything I own. As I scrub vigorously,and sweat begins to drip down my back, I begin to think about Jesus. Not just to ask for His help in the removal of these horrible grass stains, but I begin to think of the picture perfect vision we often present to friends, family and even strangers. We show up to church,or work with each hair carefully in place, lipstick touched up, and wearing just the right outfit...just picture perfect. We try so hard to present to people what we think they want to see, while underneath we cover scars, secrets, yes and even sins we wouldn't dare breathe a word about out loud. You know the great thing about Jesus? He already knew that sin you would commit, but He died for you anyway, yes He loves you and I that much. What's even better is that you can come as You are, just as you are. No need for make up, or your best statement necklace with Him, He already knows every one of your secrets. We see this in the story of the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4:29 NIV "Come see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?"Far from feeling ashamed, rejected, and condemned after her encounter with Jesus, we see the chains of her sins begin to fall away, as the Samaritan woman runs to tell her neighbors the good news. Unlike me, and my inability to get my shoes back to their once pristine condition, when we give our lives to Christ His righteousness, and shed blood on the cross, washes away all our sins, and we are made brand new in Him, and through Him. Friends, this is the good news that we should run, and unashamedly tell our neighbors.Come see a man who washed me, mended my broken pieces, adopted me into His family, and now calls me beloved.