How My Gifted Lily Jade Bag Will Always Remind Me Of My Salvation

Before this post will make sense, you need to know what a Lily Jade bag is.

Quite simply, it is the most perfect bag on the planet. They are full leather, designer-quality bags, with inserts to carry all of your baby items. And they are G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S. Early on in my blogging days I started hearing more and more people talk about Lily Jade bags online. I looked down at my heavily pregnant belly and thought why on EARTH would you spend $300 on a diaper bag!?

Then I had my first child, who came with approximately 3,495 accessories. And realized owning the best diaper bag on the planet wouldn’t be so bad. These bags are sturdy, beautiful, and huge – a mom’s dream come true.

But did you catch my biggest hurdle to owning a Lily Jade bag? That’s right, the $300 price tag.

My good friend Carla and I calculated that if we gave up our once or twice a month Starbucks routine, we could save for a Lily Jade bag in about 3 years’ time. My friends, that would be a hard sacrifice for any caffeine-dependent mother to make.

Two kids later, I pretty much resigned myself to being a Lily Jade bag social media fan girl. I knew owning this bag would be a long shot for our ministry family budget.

Until last Saturday.

Exactly one hour before I was to head to the airport on a business trip, my husband called me into our living room. A large box had arrived with my name on it. A quick look at the return label, and I burst into tears. (My sweet husband has this borderline emotionally disturbed reaction on video. Actually, that’s not true. It wasn’t borderline. I think I actually crossed the edge. I was a joyous mess!)

“Is this from you!!?!???!?,” I wailed to Ben.

He said it wasn’t. A mystery person had gifted me this bag, and this lovely person wished to remain anonymous.

More tears – and scrambling for my thank you notes.)

I was truly in so much shock, I was afraid to touch my Lily Jade. I just kept staring at it. Ben told me about ten times that the bag was, indeed, mine and I was okay to use it.

Then, he made a keen observation. “It’s just like your salvation. It was given to you, you couldn’t earn it. And you have to use it to enjoy its benefits.” 

Y’ALL.

Ben has been studying James, so it makes sense that application of our salvation had been fresh on his mind.

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” // James 1:22-25

Claiming Christ but not acting on the benefits of my salvation (Spirit-empowered obedience, studying Scripture, being a member of a church, serving others) would be the same as receiving this Lily Jade bag and not using it.

I’m incredibly grateful to this mystery person for their generous gift!!!!! And I’m also grateful for the daily reminder of my salvation.