Happily ever after...

Happily ever after...

Friday, February 17, 2012

Beauty for Ashes

Hello to all ..again!

Wow, a lot has transpired since last I posted. Well, I'm here in Missouri now with some time on my hands before work. Just wanted you all to know I'm still alive ..and kicking! :) This morning has been sweet! I've had time to reflect on my Lords amazing redeeming love He has toward me and it's caused me to fall more in love with him (again). I've described God with these beautiful lofty adjectives and adverbs before in my old journals when there was not a trial in sight but now since I've been through fire, storms, and pain I truly mean every word I choose. Through the years I've had many trials come my way and God in His sweetness has allowed it to bring me all the more closer and deeper in love with Him. He has also given me a message, the same message Christ desired to bring while he was on earth ..HOPE to the hopeless!

I say this to help you understand the amazingness of God and His redeeming love! As I have recently undergone again some rocky roads, God has in His faithfulness brought hope to me! I said, "It hurts, it hurts!" then He, through the aching pain, whispered "I am a redeeming God! ..I can turn your ashes in for beauty!" I never knew the feeling of pain, failure, shame, a bleeding broken heart until now! I use to hear people talk about it and they would choose to even take their own life because of it but it has never been a true reality to me until recently. Instead of giving into hopelessness I ran to Him! "Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." Upon taking the invitation, He so tenderly has been bandaging my wounds and drawing me closer to His heart that so longs for me. He has held me so close to Himself through every storm! He has given yet another reason to live, another reason to wake up in the morning and actually get out of bed ..with HOPE! As the tears were flowing and I said, "It hurts too bad!" He gave me a ray of sunshine that brought such peace, such joy, such hope! He showed me that he has created (and still is creating) my hurt to become another ones comfort! ..Ashes for beauty! Now, I have a different perspective! Though the tears may still seep through, at times, my hurts now have the power to remind me of many of my hurting fellowman and of this broken marred up world. I have come to realize that pain is very real. Our scars, hurts, and unpatched deep wounds from the past causes us to hurt, react, and try to live with it on our own. Then he brings to my mind what He has said and even now still says. The first message Jesus chose to speak in the synagogue was taken from Isaiah in chapter 61.

"The spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek (humble); he has sent me to bind up the BROKENHEARTED, to proclaim LIBERTY to the captives, and the OPENING of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to COMFORT all that mourn; 2 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them BEAUTY for ASHES, the oil of JOY for mourning, the garment of PRAISE for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of RIGHTEOUSNESS, the planting of the lord, that he might be GLORIFIED!

This is why I love him ..because he has first loved me! King David said, "His rod and staff are truly a comfort to me." I can say the same thing! I am in myself absolutely NOTHING! As trials have the ability to cause one to react, my own trials brought before me who I am with out the Lord my righteousness! He's been pulling out of me the parts that still reflect ME so that I can allow him to shine through and reflect HIM alone(The Lord my righteousness). Before God created the world there was nothing but darkness! In my self there is nothing but darkness! It's only His beaming light that can light up every dark room and every nook and cranny! Proverbs puts it like this, "But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day"!

Amen! let it be done in me Oh Lord!

love ~Jessica