Washed Clean (White as Snow)

I spilled coffee down the front of my shirt this morning. It wasn't the first time, nor will it be the last time that I've made a mess of myself. But, sometimes you just have to welcome the subtle imperfections of life. Things rarely go according to plan....not our plan anyway.

We all want life to be perfect, don’t we? The perfect little family in the perfect little house with the perfect cozy little job. So, what is the REAL definition of a perfect life? How do we obtain it? When I was in high school I found the beauty and perfection of life in my appearance, in my friends, in what could bring me satisfaction in the moment. But that left me empty and feeling alone. As I grew a little older and married, I saw the ugliest parts of life....the parts that sometimes still make me jump or cringe. But I have come to realize and accept that those moments were a necessary part of my life. It was something I needed to overcome in order to realize that I was made for more than that. I’m valued much higher than that by my Creator.

Being a Christian does not mean life is any easier, but I’ll tell you what being a Christian is....it’s messy, it’s difficult, it’s completely imperfect because we are imperfect, it’s painful at times, but above all, it’s joyous. The perfect life, to me, is that I can now find joy in the trials I have faced because those trials have brought me closer to God. And I can face new trials head-on, without reservation, because I know He is walking through the fire with me.

I will never be perfect in this lifetime. I find flaws in my appearance, in my actions, in my decisions, in my thoughts, even in my worship. But I am a perfectly imperfect woman, serving a perfect God...a God who shows grace and mercy to all those who come to Him. I fail Him daily....hourly...minute by minute. The stains of sin can penetrate much deeper than the coffee stain on my shirt. Yet, He loves me. He sustains me. He forgives me. He has redeemed me. And for those things, I am eternally grateful. So as I wash this stain out of my shirt, I am reminded of how undeserving, but blessed I am that Jesus washed away my stains of sin with his blood.

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Isaiah 1:18

Questions: How do you react to the imperfections of life? Do you feel weighed down and overcome by the layers of sin, the layers of hurt, the layers of stains? Are you willing to surrender it all to the one who can make you new again?