Five Minute Friday: Lonely

Mimi too this with my iphone. A woman who needs grace. :)

She walks with her head held up high and carries herself with an air of confidence. By studying her you can tell her makeup is applied in a flawless fashion. Her clothes are always coordinated and flattering, from her cropped denim to her slingbacks. On the outside she's got it all together. She's got the looks, the confidence, the career, but on the inside there is an aching void. She's walking lonely. Her loneliness has been her only constant companion all these years.  It came along side her many years ago when she saw some things in herself she didn't like. She's gotten stuck in her shame. When we get stuck in our shame we let loneliness be our companion. She's gotten stuck in her past mistakes buying into the lie that she's not worthy of God's love and redeeming sacrifice. She assumes all the other people appearing to have it all together actually do. When really she should assume they are just like her...walking wounded.

Let's face it we are all walking wounded and prone to get stuck in our shame. We are prone to let loneliness be our companion out of fear. No one can really be as ( bad, unworthy, selfish, stupid, fat, ....) as I am. We think our sin outweigh others' sins but more than that we think our sin outweighs grace. But here's the beautiful truth...sin can never outweigh grace. Grace can never be undone or outweighed. You can never outsin grace. You could be the most outrageous sinner on this planet and grace would still abound. So come to the one who came for the wounded. Allow Jesus to look at the shame and cover it with his lavish grace. We don't have to walk through this life lonely but looking good. We can replace loneliness with community because of grace. We can accept who we are because of grace. We can do life with love because of grace. All is possible because of grace.

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Five Minute Friday: Story

View of the Caribbean

Even through the screen anguish could be seen lying in his pupils. It poured forth through darts and glances. The sorrow he stored in the fine lines around his eyes. He had been here for seventy years and for all of those seventy years his story had been broken. His mother died when he was little. In fact he was told one day at the dinner table "oh by the way your mother has died." He never really knew her or anything about her. All he knew was she was gone and that she may have died a tragic death. The question "Does she love me?" begs at the core of who he is and even in his golden years it follows him. He embarks on a journey to find his story and the loss he feels resonates deep within my heart.

My heart bleats about how tragic it is to not know the love of your mother. How well meaning family members did not speak the story and thereby left out even just a hint of love. Love, it is the core of who we are. It's how we were created and it's what we search for. Parental love is the mirror that provides little glimpses into the vast reservoirs of our heavenly Father's love. We as parents take up the pen everyday and write part of the love story on our children's hearts. It's written through playing blocks, riding bikes, swimming at the beach, and snuggles at bedtimes. It's written in guidance, consequences, and prayers around the table. This man was missing the vital pen of His mother and it's story of love upon his heart.

It left his story and his heart broken. Yet, there is hope. For even if our earthly story is broken there is one who can "restore what the locusts have eaten." He can transform the evil for good if we would only let Him. He can take our story and make it part of His story and the result is breathtaking. We no longer become identified by our losses but by our Savior. Where before we were a broken vessel, a piece of cracked clay, marred by sin and it's consequences. Now, we are a living transformation produced by His love. We are a masterpiece being formed by the creator's hand.

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