Orange jumpsuit

So excited to stumble across this book that comes out in november by Tara leigh cobble, a young writer that recently moved from NYC to Greenville, SC!

tinyurl.com/orangejumpsuit

"A few months ago, I came across a passage in the Old Testament that never would have caught my eye, but God screamed it off the page in His bold font voice.

“So Jehoiachin put off his prison garments. And every day of his life he dined regularly at the king’s table.” – 2 Kings 25:29

Those words awakened something in me, because I realized: that is my life story. And it’s your life story too, if you know Jesus. He ransomed us from prison. He seated us at His table.

I meditated on the verse for a while.

What are my prison garments?
The ones I’m most aware of are fear, shame, unbelief, regret, control, abrasiveness, mistrust of Your character, specific sin patterns.

And what does it mean to dine regularly at the King’s table?
It means that I have Your provision, Your protection. I’m associated with You. I have intimacy with You because I’m with You every day. It means I’m not in control, because You’re the King, so You’ve got the power. But I don’t have to worry about anything because You like me and want me there—a King would never offer an infinite invitation to someone He didn’t want around. That also means Your feelings toward me are fixed and unchanging. For all these reasons, I should rest secure, with peace in my heart and mind.

I realized that I could be freed from prison but still walking through life in my orange jumpsuit. But in view of such a generous King, it seems the most insulting thing I could ever do would be to show up at His banquet table, wearing prison garments that carried the stench of death. Especially since He gave me new clothes: garments of salvation and a robe of righteousness (Isaiah 61:10), strength and dignity (Proverbs 31:25).

This is the story of shaking off my orange jumpsuit. Repeatedly. And sitting to dine with the King."



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

8/22/10

"Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer, for he said, "Till now the Lord has helped us."
 

friend's blog:"You are in a season of recovery and in this season everything is sensitive and you are in process. This is part of your experience and effects who u are but doesn't define you. The truth is you are growing and that is a tough process. I encourage you to look back on your Ebenezers and let it lead you to worship in place of anxiety." Profound. But, what was Ebenezer?

I was actually embarrassed I didn't know who or what she meant by "Ebenezer." So, I went straight to my bible and looked up "Ebenezer." I went to 1 Samuel and read this passage. Warren Wiersbe explains in his commentary that Ebenezer means "stone of help." It was a memorial to God's helping His people from the beginning to that very day. Missionary J. Hudson Taylor had a plaque in his home that read, EBENEZER and JEHOVAH-JIREH. That means, "Thus far the Lord has helped us-The Lord will see to it." This takes care of the past and the future, so why worry about the present? God is in control!"- friend's blog

My Ebenezer is not what i thought mine would be. When i think of a stone/ or symbol to help me remember that God is faithful, i want it to be something so pretty and worthwhile to look at. A statue, or article of clothing with a cool meaning behind it. A picture or something someone once gave me. But for me, my Ebenezer is a date in time. 8/22/10 to be exact. You see this day was one that besides coming to Jesus as my Lord and Savior was a day my life would change forever.  

This date though is not pretty like a wedding date, or fun birthday. 

This was a day that i tasted a new kind of freedom, freedom that i did not know i needed or that i did not have. This was the day i started to realize that sin does not affect just one part of your life but overflows into your thought life,ways you view yourself, your relationships with friends and family, how you worship and have communion with the Lord. This was the day that i started to see forgiveness in a new light. This was the day that i realized love is not always conditional. This was the day that the gospel came to life through others around me. This was the day that i was reminded i am not my own. This was the day God showed himself as faithful to not leave me stuck in my sin. This was the day that i could not predict. This was the day i put to death all the lies, secrets, and need to control. This was the day i stopped settling for satans tempting schemes. This is the day the cross and what it represents took over. This was the day that punishment and discipline were given new meanings. This was the day i accepted that its ok to be me and not what i think i should be.This was the day the mask came off.

This was the day that began a year of confession, new beginnings, lots of tears and learning who i really am. A year of...

"is this my plan b", 

"what is God doing with me",

"will things ever be "normal" again??"

This was a year of resting and receiving, pulling back, not always talking but listening.

As i "raise my Ebeneezer" i think of my "valley of anchor" turning into a "door of hope". 

8/22/10 

reminds me that God loves me so much he would not let me settle, God is not done with me, there is nothing i can add or take away from his gospel, there is never a point that he is so disappointed he gives up. God is for me not against me and if he could use a weak,messy sinner like me and bring beauty from these ashes I can't wait to see what he has for this next season of life.

I have a thankful heart a year later. To see how much the lord is pruning me and restoring brokenness in my life. He works all things for the Good. ALL THINGS.

EBENEZER and JEHOVAH-JIREH.

"Thus far the Lord has helped us-The Lord will see to it."

Amen Amen