Ashes for Beauty?

Trade these ashes in for beauty
And wear forgiveness like a crown
Coming to kiss the feet of mercy
I lay EVERY burden down
At the foot of the cross

Walking through life, we pick things up along the way. One day we decide to pick this up or that up at the store, and we keep walking. What would happen if we didn't ever lay any of that down? What would happen if every time we walked through a store, we bought something and we didn't lay it down, but just carried it around instead? Do you think the pile of stuff would ever get heavy? How stupid would that be and look? How stupid would that be?

You read that, and simple think, Kate your crazy, why would anyone do that? And that truth is, that so many of have. Maybe it's not really things, like maybe it's not like food, clothes, whatever, but a lot of the time, it's burdens.

What are you talking about? You may ask.... this...
1.) losing someone you love, maybe by simply just breaking up with a boyfriend, losing a best friend, cause of their choice, or really having someone you love die
2.) parents getting divorced
3.) stress...

There are so many burdens that you carry, that you don't want to let go of. Maybe it's something that would comfort you, or so you think, that would make you feel better about yourself, that would give you courage to move on, I don't know. I don't know what has gone on in your life, but I'm guessing that some where along the way, you have picked something up. Some kind of pain, some kind of maybe even just sin that you don't think belongs. Who knows what it is, but maybe theirs something you have carried around your whole life. And maybe people have tried to push God onto you, telling that He loves you, but maybe that's just another heavy book to carry around all the time. Maybe it surrounds you, and you just don't want it.

Maybe, like me, your sick of walking around carrying all these useless burdens, and refusing to let anyone see them. Maybe you've tried giving them to someone else, but no one was strong enough to take them, and just gave them back to you, even worse than they were before. I don't know, cause, truth be told, I love a totally different life than you do, and sometimes. Maybe it feels like it would be so much easier to carry around, till you have carried it around for so long, and you need a break, but know you can't take one.

Look up, and what do you see? Maybe all you see is open arms, but those are God's open arms. He says that he will give you rest, but only if you can lay your burdens down. But you say, I can't, there will be no more comfort, it's my security, or maybe it's just stuck to you, cause you've carried it around so long, refusing to get help.

But tonight, no matter where you are, no matter who you are, and no matter what burdens your carrying, lay them down at the cross. It's right in front of you and look, God's standing there with open arms, ready for you to come in and sit in His lap, cry on his shoulder, whatever, cause you are his child, and his creation, which he loves. It may be a hard process, but God will help you carry that load. Will he really want them? You may ask, yeah, He's ready to help you carry the load, even better, carry it for you. So tonight, lay the burdens down at God's feet, and feel the warmth of His warm embrace around you. Cause maybe you have been carrying them your whole life, and now it's time to let them go, to someone who truly can help you with the heavy load.

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. -God