Many years ago, my father gave me a beautiful green suede suit. It was a short jacket with zipper in the front and a sweet little skirt. I love it. To tell you the truth, it must have been 25 years ago. I still wear the jacket often in the winter.
Last winter, a friend asked if she could borrow it. I was very apprehensive not because it was an expensive suit but because my worth of the suit was attached to the giver...my father. It meant more to me than any amount of money but after all, I had the suit for many years. Against my better judgment, I relented and let her borrow the suit.
I would see her at church and she was wearing the jacket, I would see her at dinner and she was wearing the suit on a date, I would see her at the mall and eventually, when she would see me and turn the other way. I wanted to say "Hey friend, that's my suit."
One day I was at the top row of the movie theatre when I saw her walk in again wearing the jacket. I was heartbroken when I saw her spill a red slush drink on it. My heart sank. I wanted to yell out to her "Don't ruin my jacket-my father gave that to me!"
She is my friend and I love her but I love my father more. I finally got the nerve to call and ask for my suit. I did it in a nice way and she explained that it was at the dry cleaners and she would get it to me within a few days. That weekend, she posted a picture wearing my suit.
Again, I called and asked for my suit and she made another excuse. I really felt bad because by now it was Spring and I really couldn't say "I want to wear it." I persisted until one day I just "showed up." I went to her home and told her I wanted my suit. She went to her closet and brought my suit out. The jacket zipper was broken. She explained that she tried to pull the zipped jacket from a hanger and when she "yanked it off" the zipper broke. She said "I'm sorry but that happens."
I took my suit and went home. I saw my father that week and explained to him what had happened. I told him that he had given me that suit and for twenty five years I had taken care of it, wrapped it, kept it in a special place and the one time I "loaned it out" it was stained, broken and ruined.
My father hugged me and said "It's not ruined-I gave it to you and I can fix it." I gave it to my father who took it to the lady who alters his suits and she put a brand new zipper on it, cleaned it and gave it back. He did things like only a father can do!
When you were born, God our Father gave you a heart. It is a heart to worship and honor Him. We may find ourselves taking the heart our Father gave us and we giving it away thinking that person will fill our needs.
Many will toy with your heart, laugh at your heart, wear out your heart and eventually break your heart. But God Almighty, Our Father who gave you that heart will take it and mend it. He will hold you until that heart is completely healed....if you only believe.
I love my father and again, the value in the suit was in him giving it to me. Do not release what your Father gave you to someone who does not know or value the worth and if you already have-it's never too late to take it back!
Don't let someone ruin what your Father gave you!
Guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life. Proverbs 4:23
The devil is a liar. John 8:44
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