Worth More than Rose Gold

One thing you should know about me is that I am in love (obsessed?) with rose gold. This slight infatuation increased one hundred fold on our trip to Disneyland in 2019. While there, I was met with a sea of sparkly rose gold Minnie Mouse ears. My heart skipped a beat for these glittering beauties, but I had already made a hard and fast rule long before we planted our feet in the Magic Kingdom. My foolproof plan was to purchase my Minnie Mouse ears online long before our vacation ever started. Obviously by doing so I would save money and reduce the temptation to overspend while there. While I highly recommend this strategy, the best laid plans can still go south.

When the bargain ears arrived, they were either way too small or way too big. However, I remained fully committed to wearing them without bothering to check if they were returnable. Growing up I often heard, “waste not; want not,” and perhaps it was this notion that convinced me that those babies were getting packed up and going with us regardless of whether they looked ridiculous or not. Honestly, Disneyland is filled with ridiculous items you can place on your head anyway – one of the many things I love about the place.

When we finally arrived at the Park, Kevin encouraged me to buy something for myself. Even though I loved most of what I saw, I was far from in love with the price tags. So my admirable response was a polite, “No, thank you.”

Until.

One lustrous day, those rose gold Minnie Mouse ears finally broke down my frugality with their magnetic, glittering glory. Like a thrifty moth to the uneconomical flame, I was drawn to the display. I picked one up, just to gaze at its charming allure, and my husband wasted no time in insisting I get them. The poor guy had been watching me wearing micro or macro Minnie ears each day as we strolled in the park, and he was more than ready to bless me. Just when I was about to take the purchase plunge, I turned in the cashier’s direction and froze.

Tears suddenly welled up.

Delicate, graceful tears – for the record. No ugly crying (this time).

Seeing my tears, Kevin tenderly asked, "What’s wrong?" I looked at him and simply said,

“I don't deserve them."

In the forefront of my mind were all my failures and the fears I had been battling during our trip that had left me grumpy in the middle of the Happiest Place on Earth.

And the truth is, I didn’t deserve them.

Despite the truth of my confession, Kevin lovingly took the ears from my hand and marched up to the counter like a man on a mission. I stood there speechless and in awe as the guilt melted away. When he returned, he placed in my hands the most gorgeous set of Minnie Mouse ears this girl has ever laid eyes on.

It was a beautiful act of grace.

Although I had been acting in ugly ways and deserving a far different outcome, he chose to forgive me and clothe me in beauty.

The truth is, none of us deserve anything good.

We certainly don’t deserve what God has so willingly and freely given us. “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 ESV.

While we were still sinners.

Christ died for us.

We are all sinners saved only by God’s redeeming grace. God’s love through the cross proved His unmerited mercy and favor towards us. We can choose to accept His free gift of salvation and forgiveness and to walk in humility, repentance, and thanksgiving.

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” 1 John 3:1a ESV.

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV.

Once we acknowledge our failure and choose to trust in Him, He clothes us with new identity and worth.

Maybe you’ve heard this good news before but were never able to let the powerful truth of it sink in fully. Understandably so. Love that is so lavish, unconditional, and full of grace is hard for us to wrap our heads around. It is mind-blowing. Each new day I'm more fully learning and understanding God's love for me.

My heart is that you dare to discover His love for you. Don't listen to the liar who says you cannot be loved.

My husband’s grace and generosity spoke the love of God in a language I could understand. God knows how to speak directly to your heart. Ask Him to show you His love, to help you understand. You may feel God’s love when you see a beautiful sunset, when you get a helping hand, or when you hear encouraging words. For many, getting a seemingly silly trinket like Minnie ears would not have touched your heart the way it did mine! The beautiful thing is, God knows our unique love languages because He created us to speak them. If you don't know yours and would like to, consider checking out 5lovelanguages.com. It is an excellent tool to better understand how others give and receive love (as well as yourself).

Ultimately though, the most important thing is to read God’s word. The Bible is His love letter to us, and His Spirit speaks to each one of us through it. I highly encourage you as you read to journal His powerful truths and loving thoughts towards you.

God is faithful and patient with us as we surrender to Him. He is always there guiding our baby steps towards deeper healing as we grasp His divine truths and long for His wholeness.

My prayer for you is that you grab hold of the truth and run with it – dancing in a field of wildflowers in His freeing redemption.

God makes us worth more than rose gold.

Story from my Devotion Grace-Filled Seasons A 52- Week Discovery of God's All-Sufficient Grace. "Worth More then Rose Gold."