Raggedy but Cherished

Isaiah 64:6
All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

My mom has a Raggedy Ann doll, because she had a difficult life... and she didn't have any dolls to play with. My grandma made my mother a rag doll with blonde yarn hair, button eyes, a candy heart, and a heart sewed onto her chest.  I LOVED my mom's rag doll growing up but realized how precious it was to my mom.  When I was a bit older my mom made me a doll also looked like me She even embroidered a heart on it. My mom loved her doll.  To her it wasn't just something that was made from rags that were put together.  To her it was very special especially because it was created with love.   She cherished that doll and loved that doll and still does to this day.

I believe that God made us with love and cherishes us!  Because of sin His creation became as filthy rags but He still loves us!  When I think of my mom's doll I remember the heart she has sewn on her chest.  Every time I remember that heart I remember without Christ we would not have life.  A heart gives life to our bodies.  Christ in our heart gives us eternal life. We might not be as beautiful on the outside as a porcelain doll and we may not be perfect but we are definitely cherished and we are definitely loved..  God sees us He loves us despite our rags. He sees our hearts.  We do not have to be fancy or fake with Him we can be ourselves we can be raggedy and He'll always love us He created us! He sewed us together in our mother's womb! We are as filthy riches but He restored us through Christ's sacrifice for us and when we accept Christ into our hearts we can go on and be cherished for eternity!  Because in Christ we have life! 

Hopeful Romantic

“Why must people kneel down to pray? If I really wanted to pray I’ll tell you what I'd do. I'd go out into a great big field all alone or in the deep, deep woods and I'd look up into the sky—up—up—up—into that lovely blue sky that looks as if there was no end to its blueness. And then I'd just feel a prayer.”  Anne Shirely in Anne of the Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery 

When I was growing up I loved Anne of the Green Gables so much that I used to borrow all the movies constantly from the library and watch them over and over.  I used to read the book and become lost in the characters and feel like I was part of the story right there "kindered spirits" with Anne. 

I do feel that if Anne was a real person in my time we would be friends.  I love how dramatic she was quoting poetry getting into a boat laying down to feel what the person in the poem felt only to be awaken by her boat sinking and her clinging to a pier post needing to be rescued by a boy who teased her (later to become her husband).  Whenever she made a mistake she thought she was "doomed to despair". Mainly I love how Anne (who was an orphan and not actually wanted at first once adopted) finally realized that people loved her for who she was and embraced her unique qualities.  She was no longer a hopeless romantic but a hopeful romantic with people who cared deeply for her and she genuinely cared deeply for people. Not to mention she became a teacher.  What other better profession right? Let's get back to the point.  The quote above is from Anne when her guardian was trying to get her to kneel and say her prayers like a girl who wasn't raised by "heathens".  However, Anne has something different in mind... Anne is a romantic and a hopeful romantic.  She was pretty on par when she explained that she felt the way to get closest to God was through His creation.

As an adult I'm still a bit of a daydreamer and a romantic.  I could lay out in the field of the campground that I go to in Acadia, Maine for hours stare deep into the night sky while the stars beyond stars. I feel so much closer to God being surrounded by His creation, when it comes to having an intimate relationship with God give me a romantic picnic in the field with Him alone any day. 

Sometimes we need to be like Anne more and romanticize even with how amazing God's creation is and let it bring us closer to Him.  Alone time with God in a field?  or in the woods? Doesn't that sound so romantic?  Doesn't it just give you goosebumps?  God wants a relationship with us! He wants to show you His beauty wrap you in His loving arms and tell you how loved you are and how He longs to hold you close to Him.  Where will you meet God today?

James 4:8 a
Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.

The Son Will Come Out Tomorrow

John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

Sometimes I feel like little orphan Annie just holding onto Hope.  I hope that God meets my needs, I hope that my future will be bright.  However, no matter what I "know", that Jesus will be coming back and when He does He has a place for me... a mansion just over the hilltop.

As a young girl I loved watching Annie.  I loved watching the little girl who had nothing, still clinging onto the hope that someday someone would love her and come back for her.  She hoped that it would be her biological parents.  I'm sure that Annie felt out of place in the "hard knocks" of life.  I'm sure she just clung to her dream that someday someone would swoop her up and her worries would be over and her life would be fulfilled and life would hold a little more meaning.  She sang joyfully of "TOMORROW". 

I admit that sometimes when I have a difficult day I often find myself even humming this song.  "When we are stuck with a day that's gray and lonely we just need to stick up our chin and grin and say... Tomorrow, tomorrow, we love you tomorrow!"  No matter how gray and dismal life can become I always take advice from Annie and remember who my Father is in Heaven and that I've got Jesus coming back for me Tomorrow! and it may only be a day away!  Cling to the promise that there is a mansion waiting for you someday that God is our adoptive Father who loves us very much when the world just seems to be so dark and people are so greedy. God offers us Shelter in His unfailing Love.  Keep focusing on the future! Stay bright and sing on! He's coming back! and until then remember that His Mercy is new every morning so just hang on until tomorrow come what may.

22 It is because of the Lord’s loving kindness that we are not consumed,

Because His [tender] compassion never fail. 23 They are new every morning;

Great and beyond measure is Your faithfulness

Lamentations 3:22-23 Amplified Bible (AMP)