precious

my little spot this morning before any kids were awake.
i read this…and decided to share.

From Ugly to Precious:
from Ephesians 2 8:-10

we’re irresistibly drawn to pretty things.
nice restaurants, elegant shopping malls, roomy homes
and sweet smelling happy, easy-to-know people.
we instinctively shun the unlovelies of life.
consequently, we have a terrible time understanding the grace of God.

God’s grace loves when there is nothing good even beneath an awful wrapper.
when layer upon layer is removed and all that appears is more ugliness,
God loves.
it’s not that we’re such precious darlings that he can’t resist loving us.
no, God loves us because he’s decided that we will be precious to him.
He sent his Son to die on the cross for our ugliness.
period.

it’s hard to imagine, isn’t it?
it’s even harder to accept.
we push and tug at ourselves, trying to earn his love and attention,
whe the fact is, whatever package we come in,
God loves us.
dressing ourselves up with good deeds, advanced degrees
and charitable attitudes doesn’t increase God’s love for us.
he simply reaches down into our torn, misshapen world
and makes people who are ugly,
precious.

*devotional from the Mom’s Devotional Bible.
*photo inspiration from crystal