Category: #grief

#God's redemption, #grief, children, Christian Faith, Female friendship, Grief

Low

jinnyhenson

The Psalmists knew how to whine, vent & gripe, right? They also knew how to explode with joyful relief. The Book of Psalms’ 150 chapters run the wheel of fortune from bankruptcy’s begging God how long must I bear pain in my soul? to the million-dollar ecstasy of Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

It is so glorious when life falls perfectly into place for us and so dire when the bottom drops out. If it is true that one purpose of our lives on earth is to learn specific lessons God has for us to learn then why would the excellent teachers albeit dreaded dark days be so shocking?

Psalm 116:6 spoke to me this morning, “The Lord protects the simple; when I was brought low he saved me.”

He saved me sounds like a swift one-handed interception for an instant win rather than the dull and painful daily process of weight room reps. Being saved after being brought low may be glancing up a year after tragedy and thinking, “Dang-look at me still breathing and half way thrilled to be alive…no way! Go me! Woo-hoo!”

While I stared at the sea monkey container of my life after we lost our child, I had to believe that, visible or not, hope was there. Floating around alive and well. The crazy thing is what brought hope from invisible to visible was the proof of it in those who loved me.

Hope showed up in a card, a meal, a kindness. People who had walked the path lending me their favorite scriptures. Latching onto life-giving passages.

Do not ask me how people inspired by God’s graceful Spirit loving you translates into strength and hope when brought low but be certain of this; it does. The vision of being saved, rescued, hopeful and seeing the sea monkeys is only possible in hind sight.

#christianfaith, #God's redemption, #grief, Grief, Hope, School Principal, Uncategorized

Wisdom from a Principal

jinnyhenson

I have not the foggiest idea why the story of Maggie Lee’s life and death has touched the souls it has. Truly, it makes absolutely no sense other than God’s eye toward and passion for redemption. Stories like those of Principal Smith’s helped me intuit that there were greater realities at play in all of this than I could begin to realize. In hindsight, it is easier to see God as a maker who will eventually take all of our broken crayons and melt them together into something amazingly beautiful like the cake I produced in my Easy Bake Oven 40 years ago… except cosmically better.

I am inspired by grace I cannot see bubbling up in those I can see. May you be moved as I certainly was. Here is an email exchange between my Baylor Room mate, Betsy Sone Jones and her former Principal, Alan Smith, as he contemplates retirement:

(used by permission)

FYI – I am preparing a list of things to do in my next life. One of those is to drive and actually visit Maggie Lee’s Closet in order to make a donation (a very small one since my income is going to take a hit).

I am so thankful that you brought Maggie Lee into my life and that she has stayed with me all of this time. Amazingly, I cannot imagine Maggie Lee being any more alive than she is right now.

You did a GREAT thing by helping to push this out to others and in convincing me that this was something we needed to do as a school. Truthfully – it was what I needed to do for me as it allowed me to realize that developing perfect schedules, preparing for state tests, etc. was not all we needed to accomplish with our boys and girls. We needed to foster compassion, care, giving, and love and Maggie Lee, more than anyone else, allowed me to see this. I have worked to compile a list of the people that truly impacted my life in education. Maggie Lee, even though we never officially met, is on my list.

I am proud of all that you have done for ABC. Maggie Lee would have loved your music class and would have been a great Dancing Drum student! Keep doing what you do.

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