A Beautiful Offering

I started a new Bible Study tonight. I knew God wanted me to take this study and I'd heard lots of great things about it, but I wasn't exactly sure why. I didn't know that the reason would slap me in the face the first night of the study. The lady who wrote the study's name is Angela Thomas. She shares her difficulties and her struggles in order to help us understand that our lives-broken, tarnished, ragged, or torn-can still become a beautiful offering to Him.

I've had some situations happen recently in which I've felt like people won't let me forget who I used to be. This is what I dealt with at home and I thought coming here would rid me of that. Instead, I feel as though there are those that know my past and are sitting on the sidelines waiting on me to fail. I've done everything in my power to try and prove I'm not that person anymore or I've lost focus of my purpose because I'm too busy trying to not fail. Why is my time spent worrying about what those people think of me... instead of already knowing who God says I am?

I've already done it. I've had my life of ugly, ragged and torn... I've been broken, battered and ugly. Yes I've been there... but I've also taken that broken life and knelt with it at the throne of grace. If I hold onto it do I truly understand grace? If I don't accept who God has made me do I miss that amazing gift of unmerited favor? Yes, I do. If my God, my Savior, My King... can forgive me... I must also forgive myself. My broken life has changed me... if allow God to do a work. Maybe in my brokenness, in my filth... I can lead someone to the foot of the cross that wouldn't relate to anything but the ragged life God chose to use for an offering.

The path is often painful... it was never promised to be easy and you often find yourself places you never imagined. One quote from the study is my favorite: When you go to the distant country, it costs everything you never intended to give. Amen. How true that anything worth having is worth fighting for. I never imagined my shattered life would have me end up here. I didn't know God's plan and his purpose. Most days I still don't. However, I do know that my Savior has taken my ashes, my rags of filth and my broken, tainted life... and used it for beauty. For a beautiful offering that will bring glory to His name. Father thank you, please continue to allow me to trade these ashes in for beauty.