Beauty for Ashes

One of the errands my son never minded was a stop by the bank. The nice lady behind the big desk always gave him a sucker—and usually one for mommy, too. One visit, my little sugar junky had that baby unwrapped and slimy before we got out the door.

We wound our way through the landscaped grounds toward our car, and my son, spinning his treat like a propeller, sent it flying into a mound of mulch. Before I could stop him he grabbed the lollipop and aimed it toward his sticky little mouth. The big problem was it was covered with trash—bits of bark, dirt, a cigarette butt, and in my eyes, so many germs I could almost see them.

I did the only thing I could think of. I yelled “No” and told shocked and sad son that he couldn’t eat the sucker, that it was gross now, that our family was against the eating of trash. He disagreed and proceeded to try to pick the morsels of litter off his treat. I grabbed for it unsuccessfully. Then I remembered the sucker the teller had given me. When I offered the nice, new candy in place of his yucky one, at first he refused.

It was only after I pried the sticky mess out of his hand that I made the switch. Why in the world would my little guy refuse such an awesome trade? Why in the world do I? My life has been dragged through worse refuse than any public flower bed, and God offers me a new one. The Bible says He gives beauty for ashes. Why do I insist on carrying around this bag of ashes, this slimy, germ-infested sucker?

Angela Thomas encourages us to take the Lord up on His offer to make all things new, to take the messes of our lives and replace them with glory.

All we have to do is let go………