Scarlet to White

I saw this picture and it brought instantly to my mind the scripture story where the woman who is taken in adultery is brought to Christ. I know that it's not the same story - where the woman bathes His feet in tears and washes them off with her hair . . . but the humility is the same.

My family watched the movie Mother Theresa recently and in the film one of the last lines is something to the effect of "to be forgiven, forgive" and a lot of little things like that. Such small things can become so big. To be forgiven is one of the greatest things I personally could ask for. How is it even possible that sins of scarlet can be turned to white, just like that?

I recently was working at a Kids-Camp sort of thing and we were painting, and while painting I got some bright orange acrylic paint on my white shirt. As soon as I got home I asked my dad what to do to make sure it didn't stain. But even after doing all that we could - it still has an orange spot.

Red is much worse than orange. Sin goes deeper than paint. Yet with a truly willing heart, a humble heart . . . we can be forgiven. Christ can take it away - just like that.

No. Not just like that - He suffered for it. He willingly suffered more pain than any human being past, present or future could ever endure. And He did it willingly. He asked to do it. He wanted to suffer for my sins so that I could return home again. And even if I had been the only child of God who needed His grace . . . He still would have suffered all of that same pain . . . just for me.

In His eyes - I am a princess, nothing less. And I am a princess . . . only I can tell myself otherwise. Every mistake I make is like climbing a long rocky hill . . . I'll trip and fall and a lot of times I'll be scraped up and may even get a little bloody but I'm the one who decides to reach the top, to let Him who is with me the whole way to heal me and clean my wounds. He loves me so infinitely. How can I ever deserve this? I am so small and worthless . . . yet I am priceless.

And I'm not the only one . . . We are all Princes and Princesses. Sons and Daughters of God. One eternal loving God. One day He will receive me and you and all of us into His outstretched arms again. "I want to return to His arms unashamed" speaks one of my favorite songs. I know this with all of my heart.

And this is strange but it only feels right to end this post this way - in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.