Close your eyes and imagine with me for a moment what it was like that blistering, hot day when two worlds collided. A woman, no name given (for we had no name until Christ gave us His) standing before Jesus. We like her covered in dirt, afraid for our life drug out with all of our nakedness and sins on display for all to see. Are you there yet? Can you see her, can you see yourself? Do you remember the day you were exposed before Christ in your nakedness, shame, and sin. The accuser just waiting, snarling, positive he had you and that there was no escape for your dirty soul. Then this man who created you from dirt is before you and you before him no longer able to hide. Much like that devastatingly sad day in the garden when Adam and Eve were no longer able to hide themselves. I wonder if Christ had a flash back to that day when he found his creations there alone in their nakedness. Isn't that where he always finds us- naked, scared, alone, in our dirt and sin? When he sees her he looks with eyes piercing but not like any other eyes she had seen before - but he is a man just like all the other men in her life, I imagine she expects to look into his eyes and find the same anger, malice, and judgement that she has seen countless times before. Instead their eyes catch for one second, two seconds, and then she quickly looks away with bewilderment, and he looks down to the dirt. Her, you, me standing feeling the piercing eyes of our accusers and waiting for the beating to begin.  A beating we are all to familiar with, because we beat ourselves daily with the same condemnation, in hopes that we can beat our shame and guilt away out of our lives. We are left bruised and hopeless. This time is much different there is no beating.  This time just the still and quiet rustling wind. She looks and The sovereign King stops to get his fingers dirty. I love that He stoops to where we are in our dirt, in our sins and becomes like us so that we can become like him. What an amazing exchange. After he exposes the sin of others around, not in order to condemn them, but to show them they are naked and dirty under their facades as well, and that they to desperately need a savior. He quietly continues to write in the dirt. I wonder if he is thinking of what is to come from this dirt. What new life he will make out of this dirt. He is a creator, he created us from dirt, and in our dirt he stops and begins to write. I believe he began writing a new story that day for her life. He shows her he will get dirty, become like us, and create a new life, new story out of our dirty lives. This is how he saved one woman's life.... 

We to are called to be like a child, to be like him, to be like our Father. Are you getting your hands dirty? Are you giving grace? Are you lavishing His love on others? Or are you the one today that desperately needs to hear, "You are not alone, come to me and I will write you a new story, create a new life out of dirt. I have done it once, I can and will do it again. I am eager to get my hands dirty to create, write, save you from your dirt. I became dirt so that you could become clean. I took on your dirt, your sin, so that you could experience new life. So that you could live in freedom. Go and sin no more."

Laura~ saved by Jesus, saved by dirt, flesh of His flesh, to dirt I will one day return.

Credits
Holy Spirit
His written Word
John 8
Matthew 18:3
Photo Credit
Katie Kowalski
Jacque Stovall