“My New Name” Conclusion from Sarah Markley on Vimeo.

This is who we are.

If you saw me at the park with my girls, you’d see me trying to find a spot in the shade and making sure my three-year-old doesn’t squeeze all the juice out of her juice box unintentionally. You would never know that I was a woman who committed adultery over six years ago.

If you saw Chad and me in our daily lives, you’d watch us get along much more than fight and see that we can get frustrated with each other for silly things, but that we always, always try to work it out.  It wouldn’t be obvious that we almost walked away from each other one Sunday afternoon.

So why did I do this?  Why did I invite the anger and misunderstanding that I assumed would come with telling my story?  Why did I share private things with (essentially) the entire world?

Because God did such a mighty work in me, that I cannot, will not, be ashamed of it.

I’m ashamed of the grief and heartache I caused.  Still, I am.

And I still apologize to God. To Chad.

But I will never be ashamed of the clarifying, beautifying work of the Holy Spirit in my life and in my marriage.  I know that even though I committed crimes against God, He is using it for glory even now in ways I will never understand.

I can never be ashamed of the grace.

So look around.  There are other people like me who’ve behaved poorly in the past.  There are others who have done shameful things and now they are new and different.  They show no signs of the past on their faces.

Extend grace to them.  Grace has been extended to you.

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