Find the Penguin!

Many years ago when our children were young, decorating for Christmas was a family effort. Now, I’d love to tell you all about this Hallmark tradition of riding a horse-drawn sleigh into a remote little woods with nostalgic music in the background as we all lock eyes on the same beautiful fir tree which my husband Terry proceeds to chop down and then we carry it off into the sunset… But no. Terry would drag the big worn box in from the rafters in the garage and the kids would grab branches for the artificial tree and attempt to bend life back into them without getting bloodied by the pokey wires. Ahh, the memories. Once the tree was assembled we’d all pitch in with hanging the ornaments and setting out other decor. Well, one year when I lifted this penguin out of the ornament box, I decided it was not going to be displayed that year. You see, Terry’s sweet nieces had a tradition of making ornaments for other family members each year when they were young. They made the penguin so we love the penguin, but it was in disarray. Stuffing was coming out of the hat and it had lost a button and it just wasn’t looking all that festive. So I stuck it back in the box even though some of the family members were disagreeing with me. Later, when we were finished with the tree decorating and admiring our work, I was shocked to see the penguin sitting prominently on display right in the middle of the big front window sill just behind our tree. I reacted and the whole family broke out in laughter. You see, they thought it would be funny to display it after I made such a big deal about not putting it out anymore. I grabbed the penguin and went somewhere else in the house to hide it. Later it was found and that person hid it somewhere else. And thus began a beloved Christmas tradition in the Cross household: the game of Find the Penguin.

That penguin ornament was redeemed. It was given a second chance. A new life. It reminds me of–me. I won’t go into details, but I’ve been through a redemption story of my own. Perhaps you have as well? Oh, I was a believer and follower of Jesus Christ from my youth, but my first marriage came to a heartbreaking end and it left me feeling pretty shabby and no longer useful in the Kingdom of God. Kind of like that penguin. But God is so faithful and He truly does comfort those who mourn, give beauty for ashes, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. (Isaiah 61:3) He gave me a new song to sing and a new purpose. My hurts and failures have enabled me to meet others in their need where I could not have before. It’s given me more depth, more passion and more love for others. I recall coming upon these verses in Jeremiah 18 that encouraged me so much. Jeremiah was told to go to the potter’s house and observe. Verse 4 says, “But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.” The potter didn’t throw out the clay. He didn’t hide the proverbial penguin back in the box. He found a new use for this damaged vessel.

Perhaps you feel discouraged because of past failures. Maybe you’ve screwed up royally and feel there is no use for you any longer. Don’t believe the lies of the enemy! Let God shape you into the beautiful new creation He has a purposed you to be. My life is better after brokenness. If our Mr. Penguin could speak, I believe he’d say his life is better now than it was before. 🙂 He’s been redeemed and repurposed instead of tossed aside. God will do the same for you.

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:18-19)