Reason #331
It's snowing! The first snow of the season. It's about time, too. It has been feeling more like spring than Christmas. Really, it has been so warm that I keep forgetting Christmas is weeks away. This feels more like it! So it's cold out there. I got ready for bed and opted to wear my flannel gingerbread man/candy cane pajama pants. Warm and festive! I've had these pajama pants since 7th grade... I'm not kidding. I have had these pants for 13 years, which means I have had them for more than half of my life. Weird. Anyway, they've held up well and, thankfully, they still fit so I'm sure they'll go back in the bottom of my pajama drawer at the end of December and make an appearance again next year.
There aren't a lot of things I have kept for that many years. I have a few articles of clothing and a few pieces of jewlery that I've hung on to for a while and when people ask me where I purchased them, I always reply with, "Oh, I don't even remember. I've had this thing forever." Forever. There aren't many things we keep around forever anymore, are there? Everything is disposable and we see fit to just throw it away if we no longer have a use for it. It sits in a closet, a drawer, the back of the cabinet having no use to us aside from taking up space, so we throw it away. Some things we deem valuable enough to keep forever. Heirlooms passed down from one generation to the next. China, jewelry, photographs, and various knick knacks that we can't bring ourselves to do away with, but for the most part, we live in a temporary world. In fact, most things are designed to be thrown away after a short period of useage. Makes it easier on us, supposedly. That way, we don't have to clean it or store it, and when something shiney and better comes along, we can easily replace it.
Tonight we sang a song in church called "Love Came Down." I learned this song a few months ago, and it was one of those that stuck with me quickly. An easy one to catch on to with really powerful words. The chorus says:
Now if that doesn't bring peace to a girl's heart, I don't know what will. Forever yours. I've had to remind myself of that plenty of times. Used, tarnished, trampled on and kick around by the world and I just didn't see a use for me any longer. I felt disposable. That maybe it would be better to just be thrown out. I didn't count myself valuable, something to be held on tightly to. Something to be cherished and preserved. But that's the thing, because He came and because of what He's done for me, my life is deemed valuable. A temporary body, sure, but a valuable soul. And so He rescued me. From the dumps, the pits of dispair, love rescued me. Low, low, low valleys but they weren't too low for Him to stoop down and pick me up. To dust me off, restore and redeem me. To remind me of the value He had placed in me and show me that I was, in fact, useable. And, because of that, the sacrifice, the love, the redemption, I am forever His. Forever. Not just for a while, not just until He gets tired of me, not just until something better comes along, but forever. Forever His.
And so I'm thankful for that. Thankful that when He says forever, He literally means forever. Indefinitely. I'm grateful that He has a use and a purpose for me and doesn't toss me out when I make a mistake, when I falter, when I bend and question and am selfish to the core. When I'm hurt or angry, upset or scared, stressed or anxious or afraid, He reminds me that I am still His and because of that, He is going to use me. He is going to fulfill His purpose for my life. In fact, there's nothing He can't use. There's no shape we can be in that He can find a purpose for. No situation that He can't redeem. If we'll just let Him, He'll do it. And so I'm grateful to serve a God who isn't going anywhere. Who came to rescue us, to set us free, and to keep us as His own forever!
#331 - Because I am forever His.
"You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever." - Psalm 16:11
There aren't a lot of things I have kept for that many years. I have a few articles of clothing and a few pieces of jewlery that I've hung on to for a while and when people ask me where I purchased them, I always reply with, "Oh, I don't even remember. I've had this thing forever." Forever. There aren't many things we keep around forever anymore, are there? Everything is disposable and we see fit to just throw it away if we no longer have a use for it. It sits in a closet, a drawer, the back of the cabinet having no use to us aside from taking up space, so we throw it away. Some things we deem valuable enough to keep forever. Heirlooms passed down from one generation to the next. China, jewelry, photographs, and various knick knacks that we can't bring ourselves to do away with, but for the most part, we live in a temporary world. In fact, most things are designed to be thrown away after a short period of useage. Makes it easier on us, supposedly. That way, we don't have to clean it or store it, and when something shiney and better comes along, we can easily replace it.
Tonight we sang a song in church called "Love Came Down." I learned this song a few months ago, and it was one of those that stuck with me quickly. An easy one to catch on to with really powerful words. The chorus says:
I'll remind myself of all that you've done
And the life I have because of your Son
Love came down and rescued me
Love came down and set me free
I am yours, I am forever yours
Moutain high or valley low
I sing out and remind my soul
I am yours, I am forever yours
Now if that doesn't bring peace to a girl's heart, I don't know what will. Forever yours. I've had to remind myself of that plenty of times. Used, tarnished, trampled on and kick around by the world and I just didn't see a use for me any longer. I felt disposable. That maybe it would be better to just be thrown out. I didn't count myself valuable, something to be held on tightly to. Something to be cherished and preserved. But that's the thing, because He came and because of what He's done for me, my life is deemed valuable. A temporary body, sure, but a valuable soul. And so He rescued me. From the dumps, the pits of dispair, love rescued me. Low, low, low valleys but they weren't too low for Him to stoop down and pick me up. To dust me off, restore and redeem me. To remind me of the value He had placed in me and show me that I was, in fact, useable. And, because of that, the sacrifice, the love, the redemption, I am forever His. Forever. Not just for a while, not just until He gets tired of me, not just until something better comes along, but forever. Forever His.
And so I'm thankful for that. Thankful that when He says forever, He literally means forever. Indefinitely. I'm grateful that He has a use and a purpose for me and doesn't toss me out when I make a mistake, when I falter, when I bend and question and am selfish to the core. When I'm hurt or angry, upset or scared, stressed or anxious or afraid, He reminds me that I am still His and because of that, He is going to use me. He is going to fulfill His purpose for my life. In fact, there's nothing He can't use. There's no shape we can be in that He can find a purpose for. No situation that He can't redeem. If we'll just let Him, He'll do it. And so I'm grateful to serve a God who isn't going anywhere. Who came to rescue us, to set us free, and to keep us as His own forever!
#331 - Because I am forever His.
"You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever." - Psalm 16:11
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