When Midas Touches Poop

Last night I was sitting in my backyard thinking, thinking about how amazing and mind-blowingly awesome it is that God loves me because really I truly don't deserve it, am not worthy of it. In fact, none of us are, yet He loves us and is invested in our lives nonetheless. Suddenly I got this thought, and I wouldn't really say it's the deepest theological thought I've ever had, but it seemed pretty significant to me, so I'm sharing it.

I am utterly, completely unworthy and valueless. In fact, the thing that came to mind to compare to was the dog poop in the corner of the yard. Like the dog poop, I am filthy, disgusting, trash that has no value or worth and is good for nothing, but to be thrown away or buried. However, another thought crossed my mind, and that was that somehow, I am no longer that. Somehow, though everything about my inherent nature is valueless and stinks, I am not, no longer, that worthless piece of dog poop. I am indescribably valuable, so valuable, in fact, that while I was not worthy to utter the name of God, He inscribed my name upon His palm! (Isaiah 49:16) 

And then another thought crossed my mind, and that was that I am like a piece of dog poop that has been touched my the hand of Midas. That was an amazing thought! Nothing about me is inherently valuable, pleasant, appeasing, anything. I am disease ridden and stink, but I have been touched and transformed into a precious, valuable, glittering, desirable hunk of gold with immeasurable worth! That's so cool! I am now a hunk of gold. I have value and worth, not because of anything that I am or have done, but because I have been washed, renewed, and transformed by the hand of The One who holds and ascribes all value and worth. (Titus 3:5)

It doesn't end there though, I was further blown away when I realized exactly what that means. I'm already incredibly grateful that God somehow found it within Him to ascribe that value and worth to me, to choose to transform me while I was a piece of poop (Romans 5:8), but then it hit me. In order for Midas to transform things to gold, he has to touch it. In my case, God reached down and touched/picked up dog poop with His bare hands in order to transform it into gold. How humiliating/disgusting that must have been, for a king, The King, to humble Himself to picking up this dog poop in the back yard with His bare hands. (Philippians 2:5-11) Make no mistake, it was a sacrifice for Him, it was difficult. In the process of touching it, He got it on Him. This King with value and worth beyond measure got His hands covered in poop. Yet, with every piece He picked up He transformed it into beautiful, glittering gold!

There was a bit more that I thought about along this "beautiful" motif, but I think I will save that for another day. For now I want to leave it at this. You were nothing and disgusting, yet in that state, the one with the golden touch has deemed you worthy to be touched by Him and transformed into something of immeasurable value. Are you still a piece of poop, rotting and stinking up the yard, or have you been touched and transformed by the hand of God into a shining piece of gold? Let Him transform you, and if you have, thank Him for what He has done!