Tonight we ate on paper plates.
It was just me and Ashton, who isn’t feeling well, so I decided to make life easy. Paper plates are cheap. They are disposable. They can be easily be replaced. They’re nothing special at all.
Tonight too many girls and women will go to bed feeling as if they are paper plates. Because of what they’ve experienced or heard or felt, they truly believe they have no more value than a cheap, throw-away, dime-a-dozen, paper plate. How I wish I could reach across my computer screen, wrap my arms around each of these gals, look them in the eye and tell them the truth; You aren’t a paper plate. You are fine china.
You were meant to live a life worth passing on.
How can a woman embrace this truth? Only by understanding how precious she is to God.
When JP and I were engaged we registered for china. It was expensive, yes. But we weren’t buying it–our family and friends who loved us were. Each piece of exquisitely crafted china was purchased with love for a price. I’ve had the china for 25 years now. Each time I gently unwrap it, I handle it with care. I don’t want it broken or marred, because someday I hope my daughters and granddaughters will use it and think of me.
Your life is like my china. You were bought with a price – the precious blood of Jesus. And you were purchased with love. That’s makes you special. Not cheap or common or disposable. You were handcrafted – unique in design- and made for the most special of purposes.
Like we pass china from one generation to another, each of us passes down the sum total of our lives to our children. And they will pass down our legacy to their children, who will pass down our legacy to their children.
It’s an awesome thought.
What kind of life are you passing down? Are you modeling a life lived like fine china? Or are you living your life like a paper plate? Your legacy will live on. What our parents were, we become–or we must overcome. How much better to live in light of who you really are. Loved. Precious. Purchased.
You are not a paper plate.
“You were bought with a price, therefore honor God with your bodies.”
I Corinthians 6:20
Thank you for your message, Donna. You spoke at my MOPS group, and I clearly remember you telling us, “You are not a paper plate.” And I also remember you talked about 3 ways the world measures our value: 1) performance, 2) appearance (though I think you used a “p” word), and I forgot the 3rd one! I wanted to share it with my kids because I think they are feeling judged by their performance (grades, sports) – and I want them to know God’s love is unconditional and not based on our performance. Thank you again. I appreciate your ministering to women like me.