Scarlet Letters.

I was chatting with a friend a little while ago.  We were talking about something that I have felt extremely passionate about lately.  It started because we were discussing a song by the group Casting Crowns, one line says, Can't see past her scarlet letter, I find the song powerful because of my own struggles with the Church....and some things that I find myself passionate about like....

Accepting others.

Just as they are.

Mess and all.

As we talked I asked her what she thought would happen if when we went to church or we left our house... and we really had to wear a scarlet letter announcing our sins to the world.

A for addiction.

G for gossip.

S for sexual sins.

Oh the list could go on.

If our sins were out for all to see....Do you think we would start to look at each other differently.

 

The question has been haunting me for days.

I know I like to hide my sin.

I feel ashamed.

And worried as to what would others thing.

In the end though I know truth.  

He loves me.

 

Even if I was wearing a big letter on my chest every day announcing my sin to the whole world that one constant remains.

He loves me. 

 

I wonder how many others I know would love me if they knew the deepest things I often hide.  The sins.  The horrible thoughts.  The shame.  The bitterness.  The anger.

 At any given time I can be overwhelmed with one of those things.  It can change me in one moment.  

Someone glimpses the bitterness in me...to hide it I run from them.  Or I make my tone harsh and my words short so they leave.

 

We are secret keepers.   

Even in the midst of those secrets....we cannot hide from Him.

Lately I have been so glad we cannot hide from Him and that He sees as as we really are.  Messy. Sinful. Selfish. Prideful. Shamed.  And still finds us worthy.

 He Loves us.

Even more.... He covered our scarlet letters with scarlet all His own.  His blood covering our every sin.

Our scarlet sin covered by His scarlet blood.

He loves us.

To color us with His blood so that our sins are no longer visable...scarlet over scarlet...until we are white as snow.

He loves us so.

 

For more Soli Deo Gloria Sisterhood visit Jen at Finding Heaven!

Comments

[Glenda Childers]

In a real grace filled place, we could tell all of our stuff, and our friends would say "Is that all you got?"
In the past few years, my husband and I have found a couple to do life together with in honesty. It is so fun and refreshing to be honest and loved.

Fondly,
Glenda

[Kim]

Scarlet over scarlet. Maybe part of the process of getting all our scarlet washed out by His scarlet is letting it show instead of hiding it or running away from it or chasing away anyone who gets too close to it. Church should be the place that can happen best....so why is it often the exact opposite?

[Snowy Thiessen:)]

I must comment as you are amazing! And you reference the very reason I like the moniker Snowy White for online dealings...it's not because of some long ago Disney fascination with Snow White as so many assume. It's because He has washed me snowy white from my many many sins. I'm currently dealing with facing up to my own sins...and this post was exactly what I needed to be reminded of that regardless, He loves me! Thanks dear friend for the reminder!

[Erin@It's Grace]

Christy, this was so beautiful. My list would be long, too. But it's been torn apart, forever gone.

Thank you for sharing...this really has me thinking about how great our God is. So merciful.

[Ginger]

That's heart of God… I just love typing on my phone and getting those errors. (Ha!)

[Ginger]

Let me tell you something, sister, this last portion sums up the heartbof God in a very beautiful, powerful way.

'Our scarlet sin covered by His scarlet blood.

He loves us.

To color us with His blood so that our sins are no longer visable...scarlet over scarlet...until we are white as snow.

He loves us so.'

May I please borrow this quote. (I will credit you.)

Just email me or comment on my end so I will know.

Thanks,
Ginger

[Kimby]

Interesting thoughts. I "skipped" church for 3 weeks in a row this winter because I was feeling out of sorts. No one called to ask how I was or why I was gone. Then the phone rang at the end of the third week and it was an 82 year old lady asking if I was ok. That one phone call changed my mind about "church." Plus it reminded me that I hadn't called anyone either... Lord, open my eyes and remind me that it isn't about "me." (!!!)

[Abby]

this would be the day of revival, when we lay all of this down and truly love in the visible ugly that we trust others enough to show...we finished 'Loving Well' in our small group--you would love it, I think. It's just soaked with the reality that loving well only comes through receiving the power of His perfect love...and those that are hard to love are given to us for a reason--so that we can be grown like Him in loving them...but also, I think whenever others are hard to love it's because I'm forgetting all that He loves me through and also not allowing His Spirit to bring vulnerability into the relationship like you talk about here...beautiful and amen!

[Amy Sullivan]

I remember when you wrote a list last week (?), and mentioned the scarlet letter. I was curious to hear your thoughts.

I felt the very way you described in church not long ago. I looked around, and thought, who here really knows me? And who would really like me if they did?

Thanks for this.

[Joanne Sher]

this truth never...ever ceases to amaze me. Thank you.

[Tiffini]

me too...me too. I've been camping out in all of this for awhile...not sure why yet...maybe that doesn't even matter. All I know lately is that if the truth you shared is not grafted into my heart where it changes me and so I can then offer that grace to all who where letters too...even though they maybe a different letter...then it is all in vain
your words are confirmation...He is stirring us isn't He?
xo love you words!

[Deborah]

Love this song. Love this post.
Scarlet over scarlet = Invisible.
Amazing imagery.

[Kimby]

"Let he who is without sin cast the first stone..." and "Remove the log from your own eye before you try to remove the splinter from your brother's eye" -- Jesus knew what we were like/are like and I'm so grateful He sees past our Scarlet letters. Thanks for this thought-provoking post.

[Jenny Forgey]

Christy, thank you. This is powerful. I will remember the image of the Scarlet Letter, and, God willing, I will pause the next time I'm tempted to judge.

So far today the message from the Soli Deo Gloria blogs has been God sees, God knows, God loves. I choose hope in that. Thank you.

[Jen]

I love the images -- the scarlet over scarlet until we are white as snow. I think the times in my life when I have been most judgmental are times when I have been hiding from my own sin. A weird way of justifying myself, to look at the sins of others. Awful, I know. But, I've learned now. And whenever I catch myself starting to feel judgmental, I look for the good in the person and take a look inward, searching my own heart for wrong-doing.

I hope this makes sense. I'm down with the flu, so you never know how thoughts can be jumbled.

[Rachel]

He loves us, no matter what. I need that reminder now and again. Thanks!

[Tara]

We have dealt with this very same thing with some people from our old church. Judging the kids based on what they look like or how they act. Way to push away teenagers! Besides, isn't in Jesus' job to clean them up, not mine? He's the one in the heart business, right? I mean, I know I'm supposed to be there to guide them, but I fully believe my first responsibility to them is to love them AS THEY ARE. I feel that's the best way to model His love. (Not that it matters anymore, since we're not in position anymore... I digress.)

What a great reminder that even if we had to walk around with scarlet letters on us, He would look right past them and still love us. Love this line: To color us with His blood so that our sins are no longer visable...scarlet over scarlet...until we are white as snow.

[kendal]

ummmm. really really needed that today. the secrets part. because. and the part about how we treat people at church. "blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy." thanks, christy.

[Nancy]

Wow, I really like this imagery--imagine each of us wearing our scarlet letter(s). Scripture tells us to confess our sins to one another so that our prayers won't be hindered. I used to think that was sort of a conditional command--if we didn't confess our sins, God wouldn't honor our prayer requests, or something like that. I think it means that when we are hiding our sin from one another and failing to give glory to God for his deep, rich forgiveness, we then become too ashamed to approach him boldly in prayer as He has invited us. Good post.