A Good Going Over

My mom used to sew...curtains, comforters, pillow shams, all sorts of bedding. She put out some of the most detailed work. She also sewed clothing. I had a beautiful prom dress for my junior year but I thought I would lose my mind before it was completed. Anytime my mother sewed it had to be finished to perfection, not a stitch out of line, lace in perfect "folds" (whatever that is) and every button just so placed. Every day when I would get home from school she would say "Put on this dress so I can give it a good going over." Every day, I'm telling you, EVERY DAY and I am not even going to discuss how many times we went through the "going over" process on Saturdays!

As I was reading from Romans 12 this morning I was reminded of my mom and her "going over" process. In verse 1 Paul says, "present your bodies a living sacrifice...". In the past I had always just grabbed the most familiar definition and ran with it: Present-to make a gift to; to aim or point in a specified direction (such as "present arms"); to offer for inspection or consideration. This last definition stopped me dead in my tracks: "To offer for inspection or consideration".

This whole time, for all these years of me reading this chapter in the book of Romans, I have been grabbing the most familiar definition of something and running with it. Now I'm wondering what else I have missed by doing that. I wonder what other scriptures I have just grabbed and ran with. How much more am I missing?

Obviously "present" means much more than just flopping down on the altar and saying, "OK Lord, here I am for You to use." What about saying "OK Lord, look me over. This is what You've got - all You've got." Suddenly "present" takes on a whole new mental image for me! It goes from the self-glorification of me laying myself down for God to use (like that in and of itself is very impressive) to the humbling thought of God inspecting me as I'm there, considering what I've done, said and thought lately. Comparing it to His unending love, mercy and grace and then gladly accepting my sacrifice in spite of what it looks like. WOW! I think I see where Isaiah saw us as "filthy rags" now (Is.64:6). Why don't I allow God the same opportunity mom took with my prom dress? Why don't I allow God to give me a good "going over" on a daily basis? It's a scary thought. My pride has to be completely out of the picture.

Yes, I had the most beautifully crafted, detailed, exquisite prom dress my junior year and I loved the way it made me look and feel. It was made just for me, fitted to me (over and over) and lovingly, painstakingly tapered and put together. That's the last dress I ever allowed my mother the privilege of making. She wanted to make my wedding dress, but I hated the whole "going over" process too much to have the beautiful dress that would have been produced.

I can't imagine what my mother had in mind for my wedding dress, but I suddenly realize, as I'm sitting here typing this, that I missed such a wonderful, one-of-a-kind opportunity! Then I hear God say "Yes you did, and you've missed many more opportunities by not allowing Me the privilege to craft you into a beautiful garment... all because you don't want to take the time and effort of the going over process!

May I be willing to truly offer myself a living sacrifice to God, allowing Him to craft me, detail me and make me into a beautiful garment - a wedding dress if you will - for His Son.

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