Diapers

“$15,000!”  I screamed into the telephone. “Who needs $15,000 of adult incontinence diapers?”

 “Not to worry,” the lady on the other side of the conversation calmly told me.  “I can see someone has hacked into your credit card. We’ll remove the charge and issue you a new credit card.”

Yet, even after I hung up the phone, an anger smoldered in me. A thief had stolen from me. Well, Imagetechnically from the credit card company. Still, I was miffed. I felt like part of me had been taken, also. And adult incontinence diapers?  I was getting old, admittedly, but I still didn’t need those – yet.

Knowing I had to quickly douse my rage, the Holy Spirit reminded me it was a thief Christ ushered into His kingdom with the words, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43) A thief similar to the one that charged over $15,000 on my credit card was in heaven now.  Because he believed. And Jesus granted the thief grace.

Which is exactly what I needed to do – grant the thief grace. That’s when the tears started. But these weren’t tears of frustration, of pain or even of sheer exhaustion. In the midst of thinking of the thief on the cross, I was overwhelmed.  I was taken aback by how completely and utterly loved I am by my Savior. A savior that has given me His story to tell, something to live for, something to hold onto.  In a word, grace.

Because, truth be told, I am no better than the thief. Yet Christ spoke His love to me in a powerful and consuming way; He died for me. His death was confirmation of so many promises. A promise that He will never leave or forsaken me.  A promise that all things work together for good for those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose.

There is tough stuff in this life, challenges that seem too heavy to bear. (And honestly, challenges that far exceed those of a stolen credit card. ) My encouragement to you is to remind yourself daily of the promises wrapped up in those nail-scarred hands. The promises that comfort from His ever-sustaining Word. You see, He is writing our stories in the midst of our trials:  stories of His faithfulness to you, stories of His relentless pursuit of you, stories that will become your testimony to His goodness towards you.

The story He has woven for me is a gift only He can give. A story I can reflect on and praise Him for His goodness towards me. A story that overwhelms me with His love.

And as life moves forward, He will continue to shape it into what He wants it to be for me.

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