Redemption Story

you would find me in the darkest of alleys

where no light was shone

scavenging through the trash for something to fill my soul

dressed in dirty rags of shame

my head hung low

I was shackled to my baggage 

I refused to wash that awful stench of sin that was my own

hopelessness from the night before stained to my shirt

dizzy from my bottle of doubt

I was worn down to the bone

my face sunken in

my legs could barely stand

no one dared to venture down that dark alley

no one would ever find me there

I would stay hidden in my darkness

right where I wanted to be

then a figure walked down my alley right towards me

lighting it up with every step closer He took

He kept coming, He kept walking towards me

not phased about my wretched smell of sin

I didn’t want Him to come near me

His light would expose me

I needed to stay clothed in those rags of shame

that’s where I found my comfort

out of the dark I could not go

I threw everything I could at Him

bottles filled to the brim of who I was and what I had done

He stopped at nothing 

He kept walking towards me

He got so close

I could see my reflection in His eyes

His loved covered me with just how He looked at me

His tears spilled over and He called me His daughter

I asked “who are you? why are you here?”

I have come to redeem you. I have called you by name, you are mine

drawn to Him by His tenderness, I slowly came out of the dark and closer to Him

His voice so calm, His embrace so gentle

it’s way too good to be true

I withdrew myself, I was not enough to be in the presence of this perfect Man

He came down and sat beside me in my dirty corner

He held my hand and told me His story

how He created us perfectly in His image

how He spoke everything into existence

because that’s how mighty He is

He told me how good His creation was

that we lived in perfect communion with Him

then we rebelled

we did the one thing He asked us not to

then there we were

separated from Him while naked and ashamed

hiding from the very One who created us

He told me how much this broke His heart

out of His compassion He had to do something

after saying this He paused

He looked at me deeply and intently

He makes me feel so known

“no one will ever love you more than I do

you deserve death, but I didn’t want that for my beloved daughter

so I did it for you

I died for you

so that you can live with me, forever

I came to this earth and I suffered deeply

they nailed me to a tree and I was separated from My Father

now don’t feel ashamed because of this

but rather rejoice because three days later I rose from the dead

in that moment I defeated death, on your behalf”

He pleaded “please come with me, let me release you from these shackles,

let me love you endlessly,

let me redeem you,

let me wash you from this stench of sin.”

He stood up and asked me to follow Him

He promised me He would never leave

He promised me fullness of life

He promised me that I would live in His presence for eternity

I couldn’t resist, He offered me Himself

His love had captivated me

He told me this dark alley was no longer my home

I got up and He carried me into His light

He took off my rags of shame and dressed me in a simple white dress

He took my ashes and traded them for beauty

out of the alley He took me 

He brought me into Himself

He filled me with faith, hope and love

I couldn’t help but sing out in gratitude

He brought me back to Him

He released me from death’s grip

He redeemed the one least worthy

Now finally, I am free