Saturday, January 30, 2010

Thin Places by Mary E. DeMuth


I'm reading a new book right now, Thin Places, by Mary E. DeMuth. It speaks of God's healing and coming near to us in the thin places of our lives. I find, as I read, that I have many thin places of my own that God continues to shine His light through to bring new life and healing in ways I could never imagine. Mary DeMuth opens her heart in such a way as to allow us to see ourselves reflected in her words.

"My internal messiness is a thin place for me where I realize God loves messy. He delights in my raggedy ways. Why? Because He redeems my messes. Cleans them up. Polishes them until they shine so bright the reflection of Jesus smiles back. Paul affirms this. He says, "We have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves" 2 Corinthians 4:7

Clean shiny folks don't have the sacred privilege of understanding God's greatness or power because they're so full of their own beauty. Messy folks understand the metaphor of an earthen vessel, a clay pot, a canister that holds refuse. And, in that humble state of mess-dom, we welcome the beauty of Jesus within.

So, yeah, I'm a raggedy mess. But God loves the socks off me anyway. I'm a cracked pot, a vessel God shines His loveliness through. Thank goodness for the cracks; otherwise how would God's glory shine out?"



Thin Places
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