26 February 2020

I had a lot of gardening to do. Weeds needed pulling, grasses had grown into the wrong areas and needed cutting back, and spent blooms needed pruning. I quite enjoy it if I have time and can make the garden look good with flowers and greenery. It makes the appearance of the front or back yards pleasant to look at.

But I like working with my hands without gloves. Feeling the soil. Of course, that is bad for your hands, nails, and skin. The nails break and get dirt underneath them, the skin on the hands becomes rough and needs scrubbing to get the soil out of them.

So, I was a good girl and wore these newish leather, yellowy-brown gloves that I found in the laundry cupboard. You would have been proud of me ladies who like gardening. It looks wonderful, the garden so green and soon hopefully there will be flowers.

Ladies who like to keep their nails long and groomed, I made you proud too!

As I was washing my hands after a few hours in the garden, planting new plants, potting some annuals, I noticed a tinge of yellow on all of my fingers. The tinge did not come off after scrubbing. I tried extra soap. I think I’ll have to try lemon juice or even strong cream cleanser! The stain from the gloves did not budge.

Sad face, frustrated face then laughing face.

Here I was trying to keep my hands nice, and now they were this dull, mustard colour! Ha Ha. Maybe I can find matching nail polish?

My thoughts went to reflecting on the inner, sinful stain that is within every human being. Firstly, there is the original sin of our fallen nature. This has been dealt with by Jesus dying on the cross for us. Sacrificing himself instead of us being condemned.

Even if we don’t recognize Him as the Son of God and Saviour of the world, this redemption, this saving Grace, is available to all.

“While we were still sinners, He died for us.” “Us” stands for all of mankind in the past, now and into the future.

This blood poured out for us by Jesus on the cross has taken away our sin, this stain that we could NOT cleanse. Could NOT take away. Jesus has cleansed us, has washed us, has made us as white as snow. He has given us eternal life. 

“…though your sins are like scarlet they will be as white as snow, though they are red like crimson they shall become like wool.” Isaiah 1:18

What an awesome reference of the blood-red stain dissolved, cleansed to white as wool from the Sacrificial Lamb, Jesus Christ!

But there are these other sins. Ones like pride, anger, judgement, meanness, lust, greed, envy, gluttony, sloth… Because of our humanity, the frailty of our mortal nature and the right to choose freely (given to us by God) we sometimes choose wrong. We choose to sin. We choose our way or no way.

There are “lesser” sins. Sins that are not as bad as others, if you know what I mean. But nevertheless, still sin. Still not good. Still not Holy as God wants us to be.

These stains are like my mustard coloured hands. Not permanent but need cleaning so as to make us whole, to make us how we were first designed and created by God.

We need to work on our behaviours, thoughts and actions, but more than that we need the Grace of GOD TO OVERCOME these areas so that we become like Him.

That we, the designed, become exactly like the Designer first planned us to be. Like the mustard leather coloured gloves were not supposed to discolour my hands, they were designed to protect my hands and be useful for grip etc. The sins I perform, I think, I act upon… discolour the person I should be, that I was created to be.

So, these now yellow coloured hands, reminded me that there were still areas in my everyday life that needed working on. That needed God to help me overcome.

Just like I needed to get out the harder scrubbers to scrub at the yellow stain, I sometimes need to work at, scrub harder at areas that the Holy Spirit’s guiding voice reveals to me.

The stain on my skin lessened after the second treatment, but I still needed scrubbing in some tough areas a few days later.

Just like that in our own lives.

Some areas we can overcome easily, but others, oh dear. OOPS, I DID IT AGAIN! Some areas of weakness in me, of sinful thinking and acting can only be overcome by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Just like Paul asked God to take away his areas of weakness, the thorn in his side. In 2 Corinth 12:8, Scripture says he pleaded to him three times to take it away and God’s reply was astounding but so merciful. “My GRACE is sufficient for you; my strength is made perfect in your weakness.”

Your weakness makes you turn to him and then he sends you his strength, his perfection to help you overcome. “MY GRACE, my love, my mercy will help you.”

Jesus will help me overcome all my sins. His Holy Spirit will guide me, help me. Then one day, there will be no more mustard stained hands. They will be forever white and pure as snow.

There will be “no more tears, no more crying and mourning, no more pain…” Revelation 21:4 says “…and on that day there will be great rejoicing and worshiping in Heaven forever and ever.”

I can’t wait for that day!

So meanwhile, I’m still at the trough scrubbing, soaking my hands and looking up “how to cleanse stains off my skin.”

May these jottings from my journal inspire you to believe in and fall in love with Christ- the hope of the world, as stated in Jeremiah 17:7, ‘Blessed is the man who believes and trusts in and relies on the Lord and whose hope and confident expectation is the Lord!’

Love

Rosemary

Every week groups of ladies meet together to chat about the things I raise in my weekly blog post and to chat about life in general. We call these ‘Heart Connect’ groups. If you would like more information please click HERE.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Today begins a season called Lent. This is a season in the Church that begins 40 days before Easter. During this time we will reflect more upon our lives.

When you hear the word ‘sin,’ what do you think about? What does sin mean to you?

What a marvellous privilege for each of us to turn away from our sins and to come unto Christ. Do you believe with confidence that God can forgive you? If not, why not?

What does it say about our faith if we continue to walk in guilt, shame, and regret? What guilt, shame, or regret might you let go of this week, knowing all the ways God has dealt with your sin, so that you might draw near?