Ninety Nine Dollar Jeans

Ninety Nine Dollar Jeans

What I am about to write will know doubt stir many emotions in a variety of ways, I do however trust that the point of God’s great love will be made. Last night after dinner we took a trip to the mall, Michaela was in desperate need of a new pair of Jeans. Michaela is one who is quite happy to have twenty dollar jeans as long as they fit, she is a very practical and frugal young lady. Yet after a number of stores and rather frustrating dressing room trips it became rather obvious that the Jeans we were looking at either just did not fit her well, or that the size was not available. I cannot say that the Lord told me to take this next step, however I can say that He has given me great peace this morning about my actions. Hence I recommended we check one of those trendy shops, you know the ones with the hundred dollar jeans. Immediately Michaela responded with daddy those jeans are too expensive, we can’t afford them! Needless to say I won out and we left the mall with the ninety nine dollar jeans. Michaela new the cost was great, she knew that there was a sacrifice involved in my actions, and as a result she was so grateful and so appreciative of what her daddy did for her. She felt validated, appreciated, cared for, loved.
This morning in my quiet time the Lord reminded me of those ninety nine dollar jeans, He reminded me of what I felt when I saw Michaela’s smile. He reminded me that even though my daughter was willing to settle for jeans that didn’t quite fit right, or look as cute, I was unwilling to allow her to do so. Why? Because of my great love for her, because of my desire to see her feel good about herself, about her life, about her father, and ultimately to see the Fathers love modeled out by her earthly father. As always there was a lesson in this for me as well, the very same lesson I taught my daughter He wanted to teach me. You see I have struggled in my mind almost nonstop about my relationship and love for Deborah. I have asked the Lord, “is it right to love this much again, so soon?”, “can it be true that she is such an amazing gift from You Lord?”, “Am I blinded by love, loneliness, grief?” Yes these and many more questions have plagued me, and yes I have had to address them, both in my own heart and publicly at times, all to the same conclusion, and now once again set at peace in my heart by a ninety nine dollar pair of jeans. The Lord showed me again this morning that He truly has brought this new love into my life, that He chosen to bless me, that He had other plans. While I would have settled for a life of loneliness and grief, while I would have settled for being a single dad, and so much more, He had other plans. He has chosen to give me and my children the very best that He could for us, that His children need not settle for anything less than His very best. In Matthew twenty six Jesus is anointed by a woman with a very expensive oil, and the ridiculed followed with many saying the oil should have been sold and given to the poor, and Jesus responds with “the poor you will have with you always” and that her deeds will be recorded as a memorial to her as the gospel is preached.
May I suggest that each of us consider the areas we have settled in, those areas of righteous indignation that truly are not the will of God but rather a place where a false sense of pride and humility has taken hold. No I am no suggesting that everyone purchase designer jeans and spend money they don’t have on things they do not need. I am however suggesting that our God wants the very best for us and all too often we allow ourselves to be content, when He is wanting us to have more. I am saying to you that in my own life I could have loved one woman (Dawn) for thirty five years and more. I could have gone on muddling through life never again being complete, living in the past, and allowing all of my hopes and dreams to be lost just as I had lost Dawn. Not because that love or those memories was not enough for me, no because that was not God’s plan for me or my family. We do not understand why Dawn is gone, or why the Lord took her home, no more than we know why God took Deborah's husband home, all we know is that He is sovereign. If God loves us enough to bring love again, with a love that restores dreams, hope, faith, fresh vision and so much more. If God allows my family and I to be used for His glory then why won’t He do similar things for you? No it is not the same, yes it is different, and yes my love is deep, it is fresh, it is new, and I am so grateful for God’s faithfulness in bringing Deborah into our lives. Will you allow Him to do similar things for you, or are you satisfied with settling for less than His very best for you today even if it looks different than you thought it should? Allow Him to be Lord of your life not just Lord, not just God, allow Him to lead and He will never fail you.

Gene Burroughs
Pastor Shasta Lake Church