We ARE kinda starting to look like
each other! We joke regularly about our fun little language that we have
formed, how we now finish each others sentences, how we have non-verbal codes
for all sorts of things (enter BLINK BLINK), even how we are ever so slightly
stepping out of our proverbial boxes. Anna is ROCKING out dresses with boots and
I am TOTALLY into the convenience and cuteness of hats and piggy tails....
This is where we first noticed it…
See… Kinda hard to see who is who… We honestly confused ourselves in this one!
You see it all the time: spouses
that sort of "look" like each other, friends that we lovingly call
"Twins" or "Twinkies" as we BB's say it. Heck, some of us
BB's are so close our flipping HORMONES like to hang out once a month!
We have, unbeknownst to us, become
so close from transparently spending time with each other, that we have
LITERALLY taken on certain characteristics and personality traits of one
another. A sort of merging or TRANSFORMATION of who we are and what we, not
only on the outside look like, but what our HEARTS look like on the inside. We
have shared so many stories, prayed for each other so often, giggled at just
life in general in the most inappropriate circumstances, shared so many
passions that...well, voila! Beautifully Broken was created!
Brunettish BB would like to
interject something here… If I had read this a couple of years ago, I’d be
sobbing or vomiting. I LONGED for a
friend. Don’t get me wrong! I have some of the most beautiful woman that
allow me to run to them whenever I need to, but I longed for a day to day
friend. You’ll hear more about our leap
of faith friendship when we share our testimonies. This friendship… like anything… took TONS of
prayer…YEARS of prayer. Ok blonde BB,
carry on…
Anyway, there is something much bigger
here we would like to address...lets label this one PICTURE PERFECT...(We SO
hope the Michael W. Smith song from the 90’s is running through your head right
now).
We always want to look perfect for
pictures, right? For some of us we want to look perfect for our spouse, our
friends, the world...and for this BB, well, I have learned it takes WAY too
much energy for all that jazz. What we SHOULD be doing is NOT focusing on the
perfect…cause lets face it: we will NEVER BE...We should be focusing on the ONE
who IS… and can make all our mess simply beautiful....
Lets start with that word from
earlier: TRANSFORMATION. Here’s what the Bible says about how we should and
should not look and how our Savior knows STRAIGHT UP we can’t make it happen,
so he gracefully helps us out with these sweet promises straight from his
saving lips:
I chose the Message translation for
these verses because it really stuck to me:
Galations 5:19-26
It is obvious what kind of life
develops out of trying to get your own way all of the time: repetitive,
loveless sex, a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage, frenzied
and joyless grabs for happiness, trinket gods, magic show religion, paranoid
loneliness, cutthroat competition, all consuming yet never satisfied wants, a
brutal temper, an impotence to love or be loved, divided homes and divided
lives, small minded and lopsided pursuit, the vicious habit of depersonalizing
everyone into a rival, uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions, ugly
parodies of community...
Yikes...that’s not good stuff huh?
How many of these do I see in my OWN life…
But now go on to verse 22:
THIS is the kind of life we thirst
for!
But what happens when we live
God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears
in an orchard: things like affection for others, exuberance about life,
SERENITY. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion
IN THE HEART, a conviction that a basic holiness PERMEATES things and people.
We find ourselves involved in LOYAL commitments, not needing for force our way
in life, and able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.
Don't miss this peeps: the
translation for verse 26 via the Message says this:
Each of us is an ORIGINAL
Then Scripture goes on to say
(because He KNEW we were gonna be a hot mess):
2 Cor 5:17
Therefore, if
anyone is in Christ, he is a NEW creation (holla!!) The old has passed away,
behold the new has come!
Galations 2:20
I have been
crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.
And the life I now live in the flesh, I live
by the faith of the Son of God, who LOVED me and gave His LIFE for
me.
Did you get that!!? Did you hear
those words? Yep, he knew we would never be picture perfect. He knew we would
try, and we would fail…He also made us for a purpose, because we are all
ORIGINALS, not a photo copy of someone the tempter says we are supposed to be.
And thank GOD He loves us so much He gave HIS PERFECT LIFE FOR US!!!
So BB's don't miss this precious
truth:
We ARE a new creation in Christ!
The past is GONE!
We have HOPE in Him!
Hope that TRUMPS shame, guilt, and
sin!
We have a helper that is CHANGING
us
Little by Little
Mistake by Mistake
Struggle by Struggle,
Burden by Burden,
and Blessing by Blessing...
How beautiful are these promises?
Does your heart SING when you read these words! These promises make us picture
perfect to Him, so we can SHINE to those around us!!
XOXO,
Jen
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