Saint Dirty Face

— a Saint Dirty Face reflection

December always tries to dress things up.

Lights.

Ribbons.

Forced cheer like it’s a corporate HR memo:

“Be joyful or be quiet.”

But redemption doesn’t show up polished.

It comes wrapped in splinters and straw.

Redemption is God looking at what’s broken and saying,

“Yeah. That’ll do.”

Not because it’s clean.

But because it’s honest.

Christmas isn’t about God waiting for us to get our reps in, fix our credit score, heal our trauma, or stop limping emotionally.

Christmas is God stepping into the wreckage.

Into the mess.

Into the relapse.

Into the shame drawer we keep locked and labeled “don’t look here.”

He didn’t ask us to climb up.

He climbed down.

That’s redemption.

And look at the bloodline He chose to wear.

Rahab — labeled by everyone, redeemed by God.

Ruth — an outsider who refused to stay small.

David — adored, anointed, and still dangerous with temptation.

Tamar — ignored, wronged, but never erased.

God didn’t edit them out.

He wove them in.

Because redemption isn’t God pretending the damage didn’t happen.

It’s God saying the damage doesn’t get the final word.

That’s why this season hits different when you’ve lived some life.

Because you know broken.

You’ve danced with it.

You’ve baptized it with whiskey, silence, prayer, or white-knuckled survival.

And still—

you’re here.

Your story didn’t disqualify you.

It qualified you.

If God can enter a stable instead of a palace…

If God can wear flesh instead of lightning…

If God can use cracked people instead of perfect ones…

Then maybe—just maybe—

that thing you keep calling too far gone

is actually prime redemption material.

This season isn’t asking you to sparkle.

It’s asking you to stay.

To sit with the broken parts.

To let the cold air hit your lungs.

To believe—quietly, stubbornly—that God still specializes in rebuilding from scraps.

That’s not soft faith.

That’s winter faith.

And winter faith survives.

Pause & reflect:

What part of your life feels beyond repair?

What if that’s the exact place God plans to plant something holy?

Saint Dirty Face says:

Stay Dirty. Stay Redeemed. 🖤