I said helplessly, I kinda wanna preach the gospel to you...

Because I did. Because I didn't know what else to do.

Because she was curled up on my couch crying, and there really wasn't anything else to say.

Because it's what I was thinking: that this is a big mess,

but that if our faith is true,

we know that He is bigger than the biggest mess.

That redeem means: something broken woven into something beautiful.

Because I got to talk on the phone with my best friend's little sister yesterday morning,

my special buddy who used to be ten and somehow is turning seventeen (!!) next week,

the beautiful girl whose faith and thoughtfulness has amazed me for years-

And she had been excited to tell me about a conversation she'd had.

"He didn't really understand like... Christianity.

You know, the whole story of it.

So I got to talk about the gospel with him!

I told him how Jesus died for our sins, and now we can have a relationship with Him.

It was sooo cool."

Oh right.

The gospel.

I kinda wanna preach the gospel to you,

I said helplessly,

because I did want to.

But I didn't know if it was the right thing to do.

She sniffed.

She said, "Please do."

I went and sat next to her and pulled her legs on my lap and said,

still feeling so helpless,

trying to convince myself at the same time I spoke it to her:

I said,

"That's what the gospel is.

It means nothing's so bad He can't make it good.

The whole Bible tells us that:

beauty from ashes,

life from dry bones.

That's the story through the whole freakin' thing.

Your story isn't done yet."

I said,

remembering as I spoke,

"NOTHING can separate us from God's love.

I say it like it's cross-stitched on a pillow sometimes,

but now is when it's true.

There is NOTHING that can separate you from God's love for you through Christ,

not death, not life,

not any powers,

NOT THE PAST, not the future,

NOTHING IN ALL CREATION.

The worst of sinners, He died for,

it says.

The WORST.

The gospel means we're saved by GRACE.

That means it's something we don't deserve."

*******

...And it just was the first time I've thought about that in awhile.

*******

cf: Ezekiel 37, Isaiah 61, Romans 8

*******

"there is no pit so deep
that He is not deeper still..."
-corrie ten boom