Complimentary Story
January 2025I live in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains. Some might say I’m located in the ‘Redneck’ territory of Cherokee County, Ga. I love my rural setting and the good country folk that live here. As rednecks, we sometimes get a reputation for being a little crazy or extreme. A popularized slogan from these parts is … “Hold my beer, watch this!” Famous last words of many a redneck before they attempt to do something that seems unlikely to succeed.
In my quiet time lately, I’ve been mediating on the word ‘redemption.’ It’s one of those words that we casually toss around in our Christianese vocabulary without giving much thought to its actual meaning and significance. What is redemption, and what is it not? Redemption is not simply adding good things to a bad situation. Redemption is not simply a shift in direction…we were headed one way and now we are turning to go another. Redemption is the Jesus version of “hold my beer, watch this!”
Now hear me out…Redemption is a miracle. It is the unlikely and impossible being done in our life every day. It is God taking the bad and making it into something good. He doesn’t just add good things to a rotten situation — He literally can bring beauty from ashes, turn trial to testimony, take a prison and make it a pulpit. Who else can do that?! He holds the keys to success for every unlikely situation.
Redemption happens at salvation, of course, when God takes our curse and exchanges it for the promise of eternal life and forgiveness. But redemption also happens a million little ways every day by Jesus accomplishing the unlikely and impossible in our lives…working ALL things for our good. (Romans 8:28). He takes garbage and makes it glorious…He takes wounds and makes them worthwhile…He takes pain and makes is purposeful. Every day! This is the best flex move of all times and it never gets old because He always succeeds… “Hold my wine, watch this!” He doesn’t simply add good to our lives, but He takes the bad and redeems it by turning it into something of value…redemption.
It reminds me of His first miracle…turning water into wine. Jesus could have just made wine out of nothing. He could have snapped His fingers and had barrels of the best wine appear out of thin air. But He took water — something of less value — and turned it into wine…something of great value. Mic drop — “hold my water and watch this.”
I know that whole books have been written on redemption, and certainly a few letters on a page are not a complete summary of the significance of the word; but this aspect of redemption…the daily miracle of Jesus taking what is bad and turning it into something of value, has me pondering the word afresh and appreciating my Savior anew.
What a beautiful thing our God does for us! He redeems our souls and then He keeps on redeeming every aspect of our lives. I do think it brings Him joy to turn the water of our daily grind into the wine of His amazing Kingdom. I do think He has a smile on His face when He is about to accomplish the impossible.
Someday we will live in a new Heaven and there will be no need for miracles because we will live in the perfection of the presence of God. But until then, thank God for His daily redemption — those daily miracles. Our Redeemer lives and He is still redeeming! Hallelujah!
Chris McMahan,
Email: Happy1970@icloud.com
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