Beauty Treatment

Of my Lutheran background
I truly miss the
celebration of the season of Lent
a time of preparation
and application
of myrrh
followed by sweet spices

Myrrh . . .
an oily extract from a bush
symbolic of the Holy Spirit
symbolic of grace
a healing salve
Hebrew word means “distilling in drops”

I picture an IV bag automatically dripping
myrrh, as needed,
for the dealings of God in our lives

Drip drip drip
our need for grace again
again and again

And we emerge with
a broken / surrendered
contrite
teachable
heart
having exchanged
our self life
for the Christ life
dying of carnal flesh
in exchange for the spiritual

Soak me in your laundry and I'll come out clean,
scrub me and I'll have a snow-white life.
Tune me in to foot-tapping songs,
set these once-broken bones to dancing.
Don't look too close for blemishes,
give me a clean bill of health.
God, make a fresh start in me,
shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life.
Don't throw me out with the trash,
or fail to breathe holiness in me.
Bring me back from gray exile,
put a fresh wind in my sails!
Give me a job teaching rebels your ways
so the lost can find their way home.
Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God,
and I'll sing anthems to your life-giving ways.
Unbutton my lips, dear God;
I'll let loose with your praise.
Going through the motions doesn't please you,
a flawless performance is nothing to you.
I learned God-worship
when my pride was shattered.
Heart-shattered lives ready for love
don't for a moment escape God's notice.
Psalm 51:16-17 Message Bible