Laced With Grace

Our Lord loves balloons. Big shinny, Mylar balloons. He loves them so much that one day He just might send one just to you.

Many of you know that I am married to an unbeliever. I never stop praying for his salvation. I know one day he will cross the line and meet Jesus. So, I wait and I watch as the Lord does amazing things in our home and marriage.

One of the most amazing things I remember is the day my husband received a Mylar balloon from the Lord. My husband discovered the balloon placed carefully against our back door. It was inscribed with a single word – Baptism.

I about fell over in hysterics to think God would send a balloon to my man inviting him to baptism. You can read the entire story over at Spiritually Unequal Marriage. So why does the Lord like balloons? Listen in:

I happened to be in our church office this week, talking with the Staff Director and I mentioned the balloon that Jesus sent to my husband a few years ago. My friend looked up at me from her desk and tears sparkled on her lashes.

“Lynn, the same thing happened to some people I know.”

“You have got to be kidding…. Tell me… Tell me what happened.”

“Our neighbors lost their daughter several years ago. They of course were devastated. They grieved for a long time. In fact, the father who was an avid gardener couldn’t even work in his yard for two years because it held so many memories. The yard died. It was so sad and terrible.

Well, slowly the Dad began to work in the yard after two years of slow recovery. In fact, on one particular day he decided to go out back and prune the trees to get them back into shape. It was an early morning and as he poked around the yard he spotted something shinny.”

“The balloon?” I replied.

“Yes, he slowly went over to see the balloon that was gently floating just above the ground. He approached and then froze in his tracks. On the balloon was a cute picture of a bug. A cute little ladybug. And below the picture was written, ‘Happy Birthday.’

“He started trembling. You see, his daughter’s nick name was bug and on this very day it was her birthday.”

I gulped back tears as I watched the Director tell the story. She went on to say, “He picked up the balloon and took it in to show his wife. They were both overwhelmed. Lynn, they came over to ask me about it. They asked, ‘Don’t you believe God is intimately involved in the details of our lives.’ I answered, ‘You know that I do.’”

I swallowed hard.

“Lynn, they received so much comfort from that balloon. They are convinced the Lord sent it to them.”

I whispered, “Another tiny love note from our Father.”

Our Lord loves us so much. He hurts when we hurt. He laughs when we laugh and He knows when we need a hug or a love note. So today, I ask you to be on the lookout this week and see if you find a balloon, or hear the chirping of the birds, or witness something breathtaking. It is your tiny love note from our Father.

Be blessed, Lynn
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“Buddy” has had to wear “the cone of shame”. You can’t miss Buddy’s cone….as he stares out the front window, every passerby does a double-take.  You can even hear him coming as he bangs against walls, into the couch, and sometimes even into the back of your leg.  Buddy must wear his cone for all to see.

It made me wonder how many of us also carry around our own “cones” of shame.

Sometimes we wear our shame where all can see.  Food, alcohol, and drug addictions take their toll on our outward appearance.

Other times our shame is hidden…secret.  We suffer inside with the shame.

Maybe you understand  shame all too well.

Maybe you feel like because of what you have done, or because what has been done to you, you could never come to Jesus. You feel unworthy of His love.

But Jesus came to take away all of that.

He sees who you are and what you’ve done….

and He loves you anyway.

And, He takes away the shame.

Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” Joshua 5:9

“Reproach” means “disgrace; shame.”  God wants to ROLL AWAY the shame and disgrace of areas of bondage.  Jesus came to set us free from sin and death AND to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  He has redeemed us completely….taking away our shame and disgrace.  I love how He frees the woman from John 8 telling her, “neither do I condemn you.”  Paul tells us that “therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit set me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2)

When we seek Jesus, He takes away the shame, the disgrace, the reproach.

“I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears.  Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.”  Psalm 34:4-5

Lord, may I come to You honestly, seeking TRUE forgiveness. Thank You, Lord that when I turn to You, my face is NEVER covered with shame.  Thank You that You cleanse me from whatever I have done or whatever has been done to me. Thank You for Your forgiveness.   Thank You that You take away my shame. Thank You, Jesus.

You can drive thru any town, small or large, and find what I call “abandoned buildings.” You know what  I am talking about … old, worn out buildings that have been tossed away, badly neglected and long forgotten about. The windows are boarded up, the entrance doors are barely hanging from their hinges and the inside is filled with dust, cobwebs and broken floor boards.

The street is usually deserted leading up to such a forgotten place. The light in the street  is blinking on and off, and what was once a busy, active and fun place is no longer even a memory in anybodies mind. forgotten, lost, abandoned, given up on. It is hard to imagine that at one time someone loved this old building and filled it with many great things.

Sometimes, people are much like these abandoned buildings. Instead of being filled with good things such as love and acceptance … the very ones that should (or could) love you – don’t. They walk out. They turn away. They stop caring. They make bad choices. They abandon you.

When this happens it is so easy to pull yourself into that abandoned building, the place where you can board up the windows and seal the door and not let anybody care about you again. You feel tossed away and forgotten. You are left broken.

Some of you reading this today know exactly what I am talking about. You have been abandoned, forgotten and tossed aside. A parent left you, your spouse walked out, a friend forgot all about you, your kids don’t call. You feel like you are living inside of a broken down, unusable, no-good-for-nothing abandoned building.

The good news is that just like any kind of real estate property, what one buyer sees as “unsalvageable”, another sees as “potential”. God has purchased that piece of property that you reside in, that broken down abandoned building, and He has applied a new shade of RED paint to it … the shade is called “the Blood of the Lamb“, He has washed down the inside with a special cleansing powder called the “Blood of the Lamb” and there hangs a new sign outside the door. It reads …. “REDEEMED BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB!”

No matter what choice somebody has made that has left you feeling abandoned, remember that God made a choice long ago, that you are the most beautiful, precious and valuable thing He could purchase! And the price has already been paid…IN FULL!

PERSONAL NOTE: Many times I am reminded of the people who made choices that ultimately have forever altered my life. Many days, because of the emptiness of how their choices have made me feel – I find myself setting housekeeping up in my “abandoned building”. But when I find myself dwelling in this broken down place, I remind myself that the choices of those that should love me but don’t love me, and the choices of those that should stay by my side but walk right on out … these choices do not define me! But it is the choice of Jesus Christ that matters. He loves me! He died for me! and He defines me! Isn’t it time to do some redecorating in your dwelling place. Throw on a coat of RED paint!!

You can visit me for daily devo’s over at http://womentakingastand.blogspot.com/