"But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man's offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many." Romans 5:15
In the fall of my seventh grade year Mama had bought me a new jacket. With cooler days and even colder nights ahead with lots of rainy days in between, this jacket was the perfect weight to keep me warm. Even better it was water resistant so the raindrops just ran right off of it without the slightest bit of dampness left to absorb it. The jacket was different shades of blue from royal to midnight. It had a lighter blue cording that ran down both sleeves and around each wrist. A big zipper down the front with a wide hood that kept my hair out of the wind and rain. As you can tell I really liked this new jacket. I wore it everyday...for at least two weeks.
One day I was in the girls P.E. locker room changing into my gym uniform and hurriedly stuffing all of my belongings into my small locker. I had laid my jacket down on the bench as I dressed and mistakenly left it there, not putting it in the locker with my other things. Not realizing it until after class I went to change back into my clothes, my jacket was gone. I frantically looked everywhere for it. I asked all of my friends if they had seen it. I ran to the gym thinking I might have taken it with me to class. But to no avail. My blue jacket had disappeared.
I went for a couple of days searching for it only to come up empty handed. Until one day I found it, on a classmate I shared gym class with. I was shocked! I couldn't believe it! I went home that day and told Mama I had found it but had no earthly idea how I would get it back.
She asked me if I knew for sure it was mine and without a doubt...I knew.
You see, this girl didn't have as much as others and had been known to take what didn't belong to her. I told my Mama about her and asked her how I could get my jacket back without being rude or accusing. She told me that maybe this young girl needed my jacket more than I did, and maybe we should just leave well enough alone. She suggested I pull out my old jacket and wear it for the rest of the season. That was hard for me to hear and it took me a while not to look accusingly at this girl when I would see her in my blue jacket. I think what hurt me the most was she was able to wear the jacket in front of me and appeared to have no guilt. I had to endure seeing her walk around in this jacket like it was really hers...free and clear.
Thank goodness for our free gift of life through Jesus Christ. We deserve nothing! We are guilty as charged but without charge!
God sent His Son, a perfect gift to earth to die for men. No accusation. No trial. No judgement...only forgiveness.
We ask for this Gift and He blesses us whole-heartedly. And with that Gift comes grace so undeserving. No questions ask. Never an accusing eye. Just love!
He knew we needed this Gift. He left well enough alone, knowing we would still sin and saved us anyway! Hallelujah!
My Mama and the blue jacket taught me a lot that fall season:
1 Don't be so quick to accuse (John 8:7).
2 Look at all angles of a situation (Luke 6:45).
3 Notice others needs first (Luke 10:33).
I love you & He loves you more!
Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for life lessons. Without them how would we grow and learn and develop a heart for You. Amen.