This is one of my favorite songs to this day.  If you have never heard it PLEASE go download it from iTunes.  https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/hungry/id7018947?i=7018904  There are a lot of reasons I love this song.  The first reason of many is the memories from my youth it brings back.  I close my eyes and can feel the passion and desire I had for my first love years ago.  I desired HIM more than anything.  Second it was the first song I could play on the piano.  Very choppy but so sincere and pure.  I can't get this song out of my spirit and I have to believe it is because He wants to renew a pure and sincere desire in my heart for my FIRST love.

My prayer for you today and for myself is that you would allow your flesh to fall to its knees, and your spirit to call to HIM.  He desires you, all of you.  He promises that if we draw close to Him, he will draw close to us.  Offer all you have to Him.  He was all I was living for in those days.  Now, today I find myself living for so many other things.  Approval from others, my children, my own selfish desires and motives, football games, friends and the list goes on.  

Oh how I am in need of a Savior today just like yesterday.  My righteousness is like filthy rags in light of His righteousness.  My flesh is a fallen state, but my spirit, HIS spirit it is calling.  He calls to me and I must return to the days of my first love.  I cannot resist His voice, love, kindness, and unending grace.  

Will you come with me tonight to the throne room? Even if it is just for a few moments, He is there waiting and you will not be disappointed.

I love this picture! It is my husband carrying our youngest.  It reminds me so much of how the Father picks me up and carries me.  See I have this tendency in my fallen state that when I fall short, miss the mark, (which is very often), I want to run away from my Abba.  I feel as though I need to "punish" myself, put myself in "timeout".  The problem with this is that it leaves me guilt ridden in sin and shame.  I hide from Him and try to "act better" then come into His presence.  But His spirit calls to me and reasons with me, He desires to reconcile me unto Himself.  He took my punishment.  He loves you, me, the wicked and wretched.  Come let us run to Him and hide in Him.  We are hidden in Christ Jesus. 

He covers us, hides us, with His love and forgiveness.  His Redemption draws near.  He makes us anew.  We are His and forever will be His.  Come hear the call and answer.  Let your fallen self, lie on the altar of grace and be made new.  

Father,

You alone are our heart's desire.  Renew our love.  Speak to our spirit.  May we hear you louder than ever before.  We repent and turn from our wicked ways and ask for your forgiveness.  Thank you for taking on our punishment and extending grace to us.  May we forever bring glory to your name.  You are worthy of all praise.  

Amen

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