A Yardsale Of The Heart
Trading My Sorrows has been one of those worship songs that baffles me. The truth of it resonates strongly in me and I've always had a quirky image associated with the following words.
I'm trading my sorrows
I'm trading my shame
I'm laying them down
For the joy of the Lord
I'm trading my sickness
I'm trading my pain
I'm laying them down
For the joy of the Lord
I always picture myself setting up a yard sale. At my yard sale there's this one table where all my completely useless things are. The things that I shouldn't be hanging onto any more but I just can't seem to let them go. Absolutely everyone has these kinds of things and so why would anyone want to buy them from me? But I put them out there anyways because... well you never know what will sell at a yard sale.
Throughout the day people come and go, people from all walks of like, but they have one thing in common - they avoid that table. It seems to give off this aura and repels everyone that goes near it.
Eventually, as I'm about to close up shop, a Man enters and heads straight to the table. Finally seeing a chance to get rid of some of this stuff I head on over to work my whit and charm. Before I know what happened I'm left standing in front of my now empty table in utter shock as I slowly digest what He gave me as payment. In guilt and shame, I run after the Man, knowing He paid way too much. I'm starting to think that I should have paid Him to take all this junk away for me. I mean who would trade all this joy for my table full of sorrow, shame, sickness, and pain? It just doesn't make sense. When I finally catch up to Him, I sheepishly admit that I swindled Him. He smiles at me and says, "I know."
Obviously the analogy only goes so far and this whole concept is far from a reality in my life. All too often I won't even let Him near the table because I'm so ashamed. Or after catching up with Him, I take my junk back.
It's so hard to put yesterday behind me. To move on from the hurts of the past. I mean how can you drive a car if you're always looking in the rear-view mirror? How can you run a marathon if you've got a 30-pound pack on your back?
Just a little food for thought based on the song and the sermon from Sunday morning.
Matthew.
I'm trading my sorrows
I'm trading my shame
I'm laying them down
For the joy of the Lord
I'm trading my sickness
I'm trading my pain
I'm laying them down
For the joy of the Lord
I always picture myself setting up a yard sale. At my yard sale there's this one table where all my completely useless things are. The things that I shouldn't be hanging onto any more but I just can't seem to let them go. Absolutely everyone has these kinds of things and so why would anyone want to buy them from me? But I put them out there anyways because... well you never know what will sell at a yard sale.
Throughout the day people come and go, people from all walks of like, but they have one thing in common - they avoid that table. It seems to give off this aura and repels everyone that goes near it.
Eventually, as I'm about to close up shop, a Man enters and heads straight to the table. Finally seeing a chance to get rid of some of this stuff I head on over to work my whit and charm. Before I know what happened I'm left standing in front of my now empty table in utter shock as I slowly digest what He gave me as payment. In guilt and shame, I run after the Man, knowing He paid way too much. I'm starting to think that I should have paid Him to take all this junk away for me. I mean who would trade all this joy for my table full of sorrow, shame, sickness, and pain? It just doesn't make sense. When I finally catch up to Him, I sheepishly admit that I swindled Him. He smiles at me and says, "I know."
Obviously the analogy only goes so far and this whole concept is far from a reality in my life. All too often I won't even let Him near the table because I'm so ashamed. Or after catching up with Him, I take my junk back.
It's so hard to put yesterday behind me. To move on from the hurts of the past. I mean how can you drive a car if you're always looking in the rear-view mirror? How can you run a marathon if you've got a 30-pound pack on your back?
Just a little food for thought based on the song and the sermon from Sunday morning.
Matthew.
1 Comments:
wow matty! what an awesome analogy! you rock my friend! it's interesting that i just posted about joy and sorrow in my blog too...twice actually in the past couple of days...don't know if you read it or not. anyway, it's there! don't you love God's grace and how much hope it gives! we're so unworthy, yet He loves us anyway!
i hope you're feeling better! you've been in my thoughts and prayers!
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