CAUTION! FRAGILE!
Let me start out with this question.....have you ever been tapped by God? Just a small tap to get your attention? Well, have you ever been lovingly smacked upside the head by God too? Yeah, same here! God taught me a lesson today. But it took Him quite a few smacks for me to really get it. So, after learning some on my own, I thought it would be nice to share it as well! After all, sharing is caring! I hope you stick with me in my vulnerability, and that hopefully He can speak to you through me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As most of you probably know, today is Ash Wednesday. The day that kicks off lent. The day when people gather around and get a cross marked on their forehead with ashes to symbolize the scripture in Genesis that says "for dust you are and to dust you shall return." A day used to begin the remembrance of Jesus's life after birth, ministry, death and resurrection. I decided to start my own devotional pertaining to the next 40 days (I say 40 because the 7 Sundays are days of rest) and read of His journey, as well as get fed through other stories and encouraging words through some other devotionals.
The devotionals I chose was the first smack....it hit me and I kind of got it, but didn't look further until later.
But not just any kind of dust, I am beloved dust. And not even just beloved dust but fragile, beloved dust. Do me a favor, picture what it's like to pick up sand at the beach and let the wind blow it out of your hands, or even let the sand run through your fingers. That's what we are....nothing but dust from the ground. Fragile, breakable, shifty, unreliable dust. With the slightest movement I can crumble and just blow away. Yet, there is a God who loves me. He created me in His image, He loves me despite my flaws and failures. He loves me through it all, I am His beloved dust. His.
The second smack was a little harder but still had the same message, just in a different format this time. (I guess God thought maybe I would get it better this way?)
Do you see its wings? Butterflies are completely fragile, just one touch of their wings and they will either break off or kill the precious thing.
I think a lot of the times I pride myself in my strength. I have the mindset of "My family has been through so much. I, myself, have been through so much, and I made it! Look at how strong I am!" I have forgotten that I am fragile, I have pushed it aside as something I no longer am. When in reality, behind all the layers of "self strength" that I have plastered to my heart. I am fragile....
Just like this butterfly, I have cracks and tears. Sometimes it is unbearable to even open my heart up, or even try to fly. I am so vulnerable, so emotional, so weak. I am not strong as I always tell myself and others that I am. I AM FRAGILE! One slight blow of the wind and I could be down for days. On the outside I put up a brick wall of strength, not even acknowledging my fragility.
But, take a look at this second picture....
Look at it's beauty! It's tears, rips, shreds, colors, its whole being. It screams beloved!
Just like this butterfly, I too am beautiful in the deepest parts of my fragile heart. I am beautiful because in my fragility, is His strength. Behind those brown outside plastered fake walls of selfish strength is my fragile being basked in the glory and beauty of His strength.
So yes dear ones, I am fragile....... the only strength found in me is His.
And on His strength we can all soar as beautiful as a butterfly.
Embrace the fragile heart inside of you.
It is okay to be weak, to break down, to let the world roll off your shoulders and onto His.
I have been trying to carry around responsibility for my strength for so long.
Now is the time for me to give it all to Him.
To open my wings, and let His beautiful strength shine for all to see.
Will you close in prayer with me?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As most of you probably know, today is Ash Wednesday. The day that kicks off lent. The day when people gather around and get a cross marked on their forehead with ashes to symbolize the scripture in Genesis that says "for dust you are and to dust you shall return." A day used to begin the remembrance of Jesus's life after birth, ministry, death and resurrection. I decided to start my own devotional pertaining to the next 40 days (I say 40 because the 7 Sundays are days of rest) and read of His journey, as well as get fed through other stories and encouraging words through some other devotionals.
The devotionals I chose was the first smack....it hit me and I kind of got it, but didn't look further until later.
The first smack was this....I am dust.
But not just any kind of dust, I am beloved dust. And not even just beloved dust but fragile, beloved dust. Do me a favor, picture what it's like to pick up sand at the beach and let the wind blow it out of your hands, or even let the sand run through your fingers. That's what we are....nothing but dust from the ground. Fragile, breakable, shifty, unreliable dust. With the slightest movement I can crumble and just blow away. Yet, there is a God who loves me. He created me in His image, He loves me despite my flaws and failures. He loves me through it all, I am His beloved dust. His.
The second smack was a little harder but still had the same message, just in a different format this time. (I guess God thought maybe I would get it better this way?)
The second smack was this.....I am COMPLETELY fragile on my own.Okay, so we covered that I am fragile, beloved dust. Now, we're covering that I am completely and utterly fragile. (Do you see the pattern now?) I learned this lesson through a butterfly today, and will show it through these two pictures.
Do you see its wings? Butterflies are completely fragile, just one touch of their wings and they will either break off or kill the precious thing.
I think a lot of the times I pride myself in my strength. I have the mindset of "My family has been through so much. I, myself, have been through so much, and I made it! Look at how strong I am!" I have forgotten that I am fragile, I have pushed it aside as something I no longer am. When in reality, behind all the layers of "self strength" that I have plastered to my heart. I am fragile....
Just like this butterfly, I have cracks and tears. Sometimes it is unbearable to even open my heart up, or even try to fly. I am so vulnerable, so emotional, so weak. I am not strong as I always tell myself and others that I am. I AM FRAGILE! One slight blow of the wind and I could be down for days. On the outside I put up a brick wall of strength, not even acknowledging my fragility.
But, take a look at this second picture....
Look at it's beauty! It's tears, rips, shreds, colors, its whole being. It screams beloved!
Just like this butterfly, I too am beautiful in the deepest parts of my fragile heart. I am beautiful because in my fragility, is His strength. Behind those brown outside plastered fake walls of selfish strength is my fragile being basked in the glory and beauty of His strength.
So yes dear ones, I am fragile....... the only strength found in me is His.
And on His strength we can all soar as beautiful as a butterfly.
Embrace the fragile heart inside of you.
It is okay to be weak, to break down, to let the world roll off your shoulders and onto His.
I have been trying to carry around responsibility for my strength for so long.
Now is the time for me to give it all to Him.
To open my wings, and let His beautiful strength shine for all to see.
Will you close in prayer with me?
Dear God,You are such a good Father. Forgive us for taking credit for something that truly only comes from you. Break down these fake walls we've built and let the fragile parts of our hearts and lives be seen, so that You may be seen. You are our strength, our comfort, our Lord. And we are your beloved. Thank you for loving us. We love you and we thank you.Amen
Comments
Post a Comment