The Beginning

I ran across this quote one day months ago and it has become an anthem of mine.

"Christianity isn't about being perfect; it's about having your imperfections made beautiful in Christ." 

It is an anonymous quote, but I think it holds so much truth and deserves some attention.  I have pondered it's words and then let them stew.  Since stumbling upon it, I have experienced the Lord showing me this truth over and over.  I am fully aware that I am imperfect.  No one has to remind me of this fact because I do a fair job of reminding myself on an almost hourly basis.  This is where the Lord is working in me.  In the moment that I recognize my deficiencies, deficits and failures; it is the precise moment where I should release them to the Lord.  I shouldn't dwell or obsess on behalf of my imperfections, for what good comes of that?  Self inflicted bruises and scrapes are just as bad as being beaten by someone else's words or actions toward us.  Our God is so amazing because he can take my tattered, worn out, torn and worthless soul and spin it into the finest silk ever made.  He can take my ashes and make them something beautiful.  Afterall, what have I to give to the Lord?  My life is the equivalent of rags and ashes without Him in it.  There is nothing beautiful about ashes.  In Bible times, when a person was depressed, oppressed, mourning, in agony or difficulty it was custom that they would lay in ashes.  Isn't that how we act sometimes when we feel defeated or less than?  We just lay down in ashes and gloat.  Isaiah 61 says 

¹ “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me,
      Because the LORD has anointed Me 
      To preach good tidings to the poor; 
      He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, 
      To proclaim liberty to the captives, 
      And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 
       ² To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, 
      And the day of vengeance of our God; 
      To comfort all who mourn, 
       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, 
      The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”

This scripture tells us that God will take our difficulties and failures-our "ashes" and turn them into something beautiful, "that HE may be glorified."  I am so thankful for this promise because He knows how truly ugly and ashy I am, yet He fully loves me still.  Sometimes it takes a painful experience to cause beauty to sprout upward.  I believe God knew the mess of ashes I would be after walking through the fire we call life, and he had a plan for my ashes long ago.  I am on a journey to beauty because Christ is transforming me into His image.  This blog is about my struggles and my accomplishments-the things God is making beautiful in me.  I hope you enjoy the content!  Feel free to leave comments and thoughts, prayers and encouragement!