July 12, 2016: Clean

As some may know, back in April I gave my life fully to Christ. As some may also know, my testimony is filled with sexual impurity, lack of patience, absolutely no peace, and much, much worse.

About 8 years ago my parents bought me a ring. A purity ring. (I can hear the laughter of some of you now.) As expected from a gal like me, I wore it for about a year or so and tossed it to the side being that I was obviously not "waiting for my beloved" any longer and the last thing I wanted to be considered was a "prude" or even a hypocrite.

I hadn't seen that ring in years when I stumbled upon it a few weeks back trying to organize my room.

When I found it, it was rusted; turned, like jewelry does, with probably no hope of it ever looking shiny, pretty, and new again. But one day I decided I was going to try it out. I was gonna wear that ring to work and see if my mom's jewelry cleaner would do the trick, even though I had very little hope in it ever coming clean. I viewed it somewhat as a representation of myself- letting the devil bring me down in any way he could.

Y'all, I so desperately wish I could have shown you what that ring looked like at the beginning of that day. But nonetheless, I wore it. And wore it with pride but not putting all that much thought into other than, "how can I make this clean again?".

As I was having my worship time in my car that morning one of my favorite Natalie Grant songs came on my radio, and the name of it? "Clean." How perfect. How special. How accurate.

I went on about my normal work day not giving the dirty ring on my hand a second thought.

That night I ended up driving back to my house back at school since my family wasn't back from their day trip to Summer Waves and I wasn't feeling very well. I listened to my new favorite jam over and over in the car that day.

Here's the cool part: when I got home from work that day, and was taking off my jewelry to get comfy for the evening I looked down at my hand and the ring was completely clean. No joke. No jewelry cleaning solutions. No explanation- other than Jesus.

I will not say I don't struggle with codependency or loneliness or any of that anymore. Just because I'm a follower of Jesus doesn't mean I became perfect and have no faults. I'm human; just like you. But man oh man is he good.

It was like God was reassuring me that just because of my past, He can still take my dirty rags and purify me, just like the song.

Forgiveness is something out of this world amazing y'all and with Jesus, there are no coincidences.

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." - Matthew 5:8