Show me your muddy palms

Not too long ago a group of folks from church went away to Haiti to help build a medical clinic. Last week they played a slide show of pictures from that trip during that slide show the song Muddy Palms by Del Barber was playing in the background. First of all I love the song so that caught me right away, so I enjoyed the slide show. Now, this week at during the service Cody (the guy that made the slide show) told the story, of why he chose that song. in the song Muddy Palms there is a line repeated. "show me your scars, show me your muddy palms." Another part in the song says "Don't you get tired of hiding yourself?"
In his story he talked about the first morning he was there. He said he woke up early in the morning to a woman belting a song at the top of her lungs. It wasn't even the whole song, it was just the same line again and again for over an hour. He thought about if this would happen in Winnipeg. If someone was yelling the same line over and over early in the morning someone would tell that person to shut-up. However, the people in Haiti just let this woman be. He said later that night he told the guide type person about this lady. He sang the line that the lady was singing over and over. The Guide (who is also the doctor of the clinic they were helping to build) kind of gave a half laugh and said "that lady was mourning. She lost her child. That's how she mourns, she cries that song."
What does this have to do with the song Muddy Palms? This lady who was mourning was showing her scars, she was showing her muddy palms. She was not hiding any part of herself, she was showing a honesty that is hard to find these days.
Why did this story hit me so much? So many times we all (myself included) put up these walls, and we aren't fully honest with anyone, or with ourselves, or even with God. Why do we try hide ourselves from everyone and from God? God is our forgiver He is our father, why should we not be totally honest with Him? Why don't we show God our scars? Why don't we show God our muddy palms? Why do we try hide ourselves from God? We know that He sees everything and knows everything, yet we still try hide.
We went through some passages in the book of Mark, two stories really stuck out to me.
First was the passage of the rich man in Mark 10:17-23. He asks Jesus "what must I do to inherit the kingdom of heaven. Jesus replies "Do not Murder, do not commit adultery, do not give false testimony and honor your father and mother."
The rich man said "all these I have kept since I was young."
It says Jesus looked and him and loved him, and said "one thing you lack, go sell all you have and give it to the poor. You will have treasure in Heaven, then come and follow me."
The thing that stuck with me, once it was read again was "Jesus looked at him, and loved him." Jesus can see everything in us, he can see all our sins, all our imperfections and all our problems. Yet He still loves us, and that to me is a humbling thought.
The second passage is in Mark 12:41-44. The story of the widows offering. It says Jesus sat in the temple across from where people were placing their offering, many people put in large amounts of money, but then a poor widow put in two copper coins worth a fraction of a penny. It says Jesus told his Disciples that the widow, gave the more than anyone. Everyone gave out their wealth, but she gave everything she had to live on. This hit me big time. The widow gave EVERYTHING she had, so many times we all just give what we want, or what we feel like. This widow was not ashamed to show her scars, to show her muddy palms. She was hiding nothing from God, and gave Him her all.
It is my encouragement for us to all stop Hiding ourselves from God, and to be honest with Him, show Him our scars and our muddy palms. He will look on us with compassion and love.
God bless