ID Stamped. From Broken to Redeemed.

Talked with a young mom this morning with a coworker in the quiet of our office. 

 A young Mom who grew up swimming upstream in a slough of despondency and a bog of despair.  Molested, neglected, abandoned, abused, lost, locked up, beat up, let out and locked up again.  

Her DSMVI is a mile long with horrific words like reactive attachment, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, PTSD, Bi-Polar and diss associative disorder.  Oh, don't forget felon and parolee. Her ID has been stamped, broken over and over again.

AND YET... the one true God of the universe sent His ONE and only Son to accept her unconditionally.  He offered her a free and transformational gift. The gift of a new life.  Redemption.  Salvation. 

I teach boundaries, renewing the mind and many other classes to help people learn new skills.  While the information and skills are valuable tools; authentic life changing transformation is only found in redemption.  

My God who transforms within the mess of life, changing from the inside out, has begun His good work in this woman.  

My friend and I prayed for her to completely give her life to Jesus once and for all and surrendering herself to be completely In Him. 

 As an old neighbor lady used to say, "You can put perfume on a dead skunk and it will still be a dead skunk."

He has redeemed this dear woman.  Because of His unconditional love and acceptance she is a new creation TODAY.  Ready to learn the truth and soak up the information.

 I remember another young Mom, with two baby boys quite some time ago.  She walked into a counselors office shaking like the last leaf of an autumn tree in the wind.  

Ashamed.  Guilty.  Fearful.  Fragmented.  A failure.

The verdict was handed out.  Broken, it stated.  

Her ID had been stamped:  Dysfunctional.  Fragile.  Depressed.  

And yet...through a journey coordinated by a great and knowing God, she began to be renewed.  Chains began to be broken bit by bit.  Pieces put back together.  

This journey began when her ID was stamped...Redeemed.  She is a new creation and the old has gone and the new has come.  This ID became her weapon within the battle.  Her Identification was now in Him.

Even today, when vulnerable or afraid...she pulls out the ID and fingers the stamp that states...REDEEMED.  NEW.