What's on Your Sash?
Scripture: Isaiah 61:3
"To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they may be called trees of righteousness."
I've recently come to a new level of understanding that I'd like to share with you. It's something that I've known for a long time, but I believe it has just penetrated the depths of my heart a little more. It is regarding the love that God has for us. And the best part, it came to me through a children's book.
You Are Special, written by Max Lucado, is a book I've read to my girls several times. However, I pulled it off the shelf this week for me. I participate on a team in our church that helps to walk people through emotional wounds and hurts and to receive healing. The team recently had a meeting in which we discussed how imperative it is to know who we are in Christ. If we have that understanding at the core of our being, our response to life would be much different. Max Lucado's book drives this point so simply and so beautifully.
In the book, a crafter makes wooden people. The wooden people then live in a village. Each wooden person is given a box of yellow stars and a box of gray dots. Their only job is to give other wooden people dots or stars. The dots represent a negative word, and the stars represent a positive or encouraging word. The wooden people receive the dots or stars based on their abilities to perform varying tasks or how they appear.
One particular wooden boy has many gray dots and no stars. He tries very hard to do well to obtain stars, but to no avail. One day, he meets a girl who has no stars or dots. She's joyful and doesn't care at all that she is different from all the rest. The boy asks her why she doesn't have any. She tells him that every day she goes to see their maker, Eli. She encourages the boy to go as well. The boy finally goes to see Eli. The exchange between them is just beautiful:
"Every day I've been hoping you'd come," Eli explained.
"I came because I met someone who had no marks," said Punchinello.
"I know. She told me about you."
"Why don't the stickers stay on her?"
The maker spoke softly. "Because she has decided that what I think is more important than what they think. The stickers only stick if you let them."
'What?" said Punchinello.
"The stickers only stick if they matter to you. The more you trust my love, the less you care about their stickers."
"I'm not sure I understand."
Eli smiled. "You will, but it will take time. You've got a lot of marks. For now, just come to see me every day and let me remind you of how much I care." "Remember," Eli said as the wooden person walked out the door, "you are special because I made you. And I don't make mistakes."
Friends, the wooden people represent us and Eli is God. As we go through life, we are going to receive praises and accolades, and we are going to receive hurts and wounds. But the truth is, they all belong to God. All of our success and our failures belong to Him.
He wants to remove all of the hurts and wounds, but we first have to understand that what He thinks is most important. If you are walking in the center of God's will, it doesn't matter what others say. But, we are emotional beings. Those same emotions that cause us to rejoice when others rejoice and mourn with others mourn, can also cause us to become angry or hurt at the persecution of others. However, when we keep our eyes on our maker, when we visit him daily and let Him remind us of how precious we are, how much he loves us, we can let those persecuting words roll off our backs more easily.
Who you are and your time on this earth is not an accident. You are special, just because God made you - it doesn't matter what your past is. Many times I believe that people where a spiritual sash. The title on the sash represents their circumstances - depressed, shame, guilt, divorced, abused, and the list goes on. God wants to remove that sash and put a new one on you that says Child of the Most High God, Created by the King of Kings, Seated with Christ, Holy and Dearly Loved.
As I've served on the team that helps people work through these types of hurts/wounds, I've heard so many different heartaches. Some have been consequences of choices, others have been beyond the individual's control. It doesn't matter to God which it is. His heart's desire is to see you free from that bondage and walking closely with Him.
Spend time with Him, let Him heal your wounds. He wants to turn your ashes to beauty; He wants to take off the cloak of heaviness and fill you with a spirit of joy. He wants to heal your broken heart, He wants to help you forgive your abuser. Trade your sash for the one He has for you. He created you and His heart longs for you to walk in all that He has for you. He's waiting with open arms; don't delay another day!
Be Free & Be Blessed!
