Over the past few days I’ve been reflecting on my childhood.  Like most everyone, I had my share of ups and downs.  Regardless of how bad things were the one constant thing in my life was my family.  My immediate family was smaller but my extended family reached wayyyyyy out there on many sides 🙂  I was blessed with quite a few cousins, uncles, aunts, etc.  One memory I reflected on was a huge family activity that happened every year.  All of life my paternal grandfather has had a garden.  At the end of every summer, when the vegetables were flowing in from every corner everyone in the family was called over to my grandparents.  The house would be full and flowing with activity as jobs were assigned.  We were making vegetable soup that would be eaten by our entire family throughout the rest of the winter and into spring.  Jobs consisted of dicing onions/potatoes/tomatoes, cutting up the okra (the one slimy vegetable I still don’t care for) or carrots, and more.  On this one particular year I happened to be working on the corn.  I was shucking, “silking” (every good southerner will know what I’m talking about), cleaning, and cutting corn from the cob.  I grabbed the first ear and set about doing as I’d been told.  Before long I was flying through it until……yuck….I ran across a cob that had seen better days.  This one particular ear had a few spots that bordered on rotten, not to mention the slimy little worm who had made his home inside of it.  I called out, “Mamaw-what do you want me to do with this one?”  preparing to throw it away.  She walked over and (in her high pitched voice) said, “Oh, Brian-ee (she’s called me that as long as I can remember), just take your knife and cut away those nasty spots.  Don’t throw the whole thing away.  We can still use the good stuff!”  I watched what she did and repeated it for the next million ears of corn.  Not really a million, but it sure felt like it 🙂

Throughout our lives we make a mistakes.  Some bigger and more frequently than others.  Those around us may reply, “What’s wrong with you?  Why would you do that?  You’ll never amount to anything!…..You’re good for nothing!……You’re worthless!”  They attempt to throw us away.  Instead of throwing us away God says, “Hey–don’t throw that away!  I can still use the good stuff!”  Even better, God can use the bad stuff too!  That the bad stuff, my friends, is called a testimony!  I have come across many people while serving in ministry that have a hard time reconciling someone (God) would want them after all the things they’ve done wrong.  God has this ability not only to see your brokenness but what you CAN be.  He sees your value even when those around you don’t.  That’s the love of your Father!  Recently, a song has been released by an artist named Anthony Brown.  The song is titled “Worth.”  The chorus states, “You thought I was worth saving…so you came and changed my life….you thought I was worth keeping….so you cleaned me up inside….you thought I was to die for…..so you sacrificed your life….so I could be free….so I can be whole….and I will tell everyone I know.”  He gives the “worthless” worth.  He extends grace and mercy when everyone else has turned their back.  Titus 3:5 states, “He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit…”  We will never be good enough….but He’s always right there to love and restore us.

Closing remarks and encouragement:  We don’t have to be perfect, just willing to accept His grace and mercy while being prepared to walk in freedom on He can give.  We don’t need to have all the answers, because He’s the answer!  You’ll never be worthy of the sacrifice, so don’t even try.  It doesn’t matter what anyone else says because He sees your worth–and that’s all that matters!

Have a blessed week, my friends!