Reason #911

I was doodling on a notepad today as I waited for my co-worker to send me an email. As I drew swirls and shapes of all sorts, I had a flash back to my childhood. When I was a little girl, I had a Doodle Bear. It was this little denim looking teddy bear that came with a pink washable marker. You could write and draw all over Doodle Bear, and when you ran out of room or needed a clean slate you could toss little Doodle “in the washing machine and he’d come out nice and clean.” (His words, not mine.) It was really that easy. Well, as long as you actually used the washable marker. If you drew on Doodle with anything else, good luck. Those markings would likely stay no matter how many times you washed him. And so I remember having my little friends come over and mark up Doodle with a special message or drawing. This is what kids did before social media and iproducts. We had to use our imaginations, be creative, and actually write things down for our friends. Of course, having been OCD my entire life, you better be sure I kept Doodle’s marker nearby. I certainly didn’t want anyone permanently marking up my Doodle, and that never happened while he was in my care.

 

We are big Doodle Bears. I know you never thought of yourself as such, but in a way, you are. And granted, you’re not covered in pink washable marker, life has written itself all over you. We all have a story, don’t we? Some of them are nicer than others, but we’ve all got a story. Because the people we love have written their stories on our lives. They’ve left words, comments, and images that will stick with us forever. They’ve marked us. And the people we don’t necessarily love have done the same thing. They, too, have left their mark on our lives. Unfortunately, those are the ones we feel that everyone sees. We feel like all of those condemning words, those painful and hurtful situations, are visible from the outside. I mean really, they might as well have scribbled on us with Sharpie because it seems like we can’t get rid of that stuff. And we’ve tried lots of things. We’ve turned here and there in an attempt to hide it, to suppress it, to cover it up, or at least to make it go away. We’ve tried to color over it as best we can, and we’ve walked around in shame because of our the markings we’ve got. We’ve let them define us. We’ve let their words, their accusations, and their hatefulness penetrate our hearts and stick to us, and we feel like it’s never going to change. Maybe they were right. Maybe we really are those things. Maybe that’s why it sticks with us and keeps haunting us. But the truth is, dear friend, that isn’t the case. Because there is this miraculous thing about being a Doodle Bear. This crazy phenomenon that was actually created with Doodle Bear in mind. All Doodle Bears have the chance to be washed clean and get a new start. That’s right. Doodle Bears don’t have to live with those markings forever.

 

The Lord knew full well what we would face when He created us. That’s why He created us with a perfect plan and a miracle all set in place. Because when you entered into this world, you were spotless and perfect. Not for long, but for a little bit you were clean. And then someone marked on you. Someone left an impression, and the older you got the more markings you accumulated. God knew this though, but God also knew that those markings weren’t permanent. Because, you see, God had a plan in place for how to take care of these markings long before we existed. The thing is, the world can only mark you with washable markers giving you markings that, while they may seem so big and everlasting, really aren’t. Markings that could be washed away as if they never existed. Not with just anything though. Not with soap and water and a good scrubbing. Rather, He washed you in the blood. In the soul cleansing blood of The Lamb. He washed you so that you’d be spotless and clean, and when you got marked up again, you could come right back and He’d clean you up just as good as the first time. And when those hateful marks made their presence, He’d not only wash them away He’d redeem them. He’d clear the slate and where it once said sinner, He’d write saved. Where it said broken, He’d write healed. And right there, on your forehead, where you wore your biggest marking for everyone to see, He’d write forgiven and loved.

 

No marking is too big enough to be washed away. No scribble to deep enough to be redeemed. And when you’re in God’s care, when you’re on His watch, you better believe He is looking out for you. Sure, things may very well happen that you wish wouldn’t, but God is not going to let someone give you a mark that He cannot wash away. In fact, that is impossible. All of the world’s markings disappear when washed in His cleansing blood. And so, Doodle Bear, let Him wash you. Let Him give you a clean slate and a fresh start. And when you start to feel it again, when you look down and realize there are too many scribbles, don’t hesitate to go to Him. Remember His body was broken and His blood was shed for you so that you could come to Him. And He’ll gladly meet you there. He’ll wash you, He’ll redeem you, and He’ll write new things, true things, about who you really are.

 

#911 – For His cleansing blood that gives us clean slates and new beginnings.

 

"And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many." - Matthew 26:27-28