One afternoon I straightened the art room after my last group of elementary students cleaned up and left for the day, and I thought about how the new liquid glue I ordered is the thickest and stickiest glue ever. This makes it awesome for gluing buttons on paper mâché hats, but not so easy to get off the tables I forgot to cover with brown craft paper!
The Sticky Stuff
The steady sound of rain tapping on the roof was a welcome and gentle sound after such a noisy, hectic day of art-making. It made me think of Picasso when he said, “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” Dust seems simple enough to wash away, but what about the sticky stuff? What about labels that we or others have placed on our lives that stick like my new brand of liquid glue? The labels could have words like “broken,” “unhealthy,” “unloved” and many others. Maybe at one time you felt shattered over a certain situation, like an unexpected loss or long-lasting illness, and so much healing has happened in your life since then. But the label is still stuck! Or perhaps the labels you’ve been anchored to were never true at all.
Old Labels
I am learning I could spend the rest of my days picking at those things, trying to prove who I am and who I am not. All my words and all my efforts may only nibble the edges of that tab, and I could continue to struggle because I want it off. Or I could simply stop grappling with people’s perceptions or my own misconceptions and remember that there is only One who will ever fully know and understand me. The truths He has placed on my life can cover the words I have placed on myself or that others have placed on me. I could allow His grace, like rain to wash away those old comments and cover me with His unfailing love.
Fresh Truths
God never promised all the sticky stuff would come off on this side of the grass, but He did promise to be with us and to love us through it. Today I am choosing to focus on the labels He has placed on my life. Those include words like “loved,” “redeemed,” “chosen” and so many other refreshing, uplifting things He has spoken over His children. I can’t promise I won’t go back to picking the edges of those old adhesive strips tomorrow, but for today I am choosing the grace of God’s truth and who He says I am. I am letting those words sprinkle my spirit with hope and saturate my mind in peace.
Dwelling in Peace
As you go throughout your day, what truths has He spoken over your life in His Word that you could dwell on today? The world can be so loud sometimes. May you hear God’s still, small voice washing over you today. May His hope quiet your mind and restore your soul as you allow Him to remove faded labels and place fresh ones on your heart.
