Tag: #peace

#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.

Beatitudes

Beatitudes Reimagined

jinnyhenson

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Blessed are the found but even greater those lost inside God’s love; bereft of a Plan B, agenda-free and obsessed with God for God’s self alone.

Blessed are those with phenomenal rhythm but even more blessed are those who tune their lives to the eternal goodness of God and hum that other-worldly tune to such holy acts as taking out the trash.

Blessed are the full but how deeply blessed are those who willingly pull the plug on their pride reservoir and kneel before The Maker completely  aware of their soul’s insufficiency.

Blessed are the followed but far greater those who stalk Jesus like paparazzi, knowing that a glimpse of the Savior is worth more than a thousand follows.

Blessed are the beautiful but still more so those who have traded the ashes of broken dreams, failures and humiliations for the beauty God stands patiently ready to exchange.

Blessed are the rigid for their desk tops are organized but more blessed are those rigidly devoted to Christ who are more concerned with the logs in their own eyes than splinters in the eyes of another.

Blessed are the debate victors but far happier those who value their opponent as God’s own child rather than a foe to be eliminated. One open ear is more valuable than a hundred judgemental eyes.

Blessed are the recognized but still more vital are those with the uncanny knack to recognize potential in someone who has written off their own future. A week of encouragement beats a life of imprisonment.

Blessed are those deemed important but more blessed are those who see the importance of God’s redemption in this life. Just as one renovated home can bring change to an entire street so one redeemed parent can change the trajectory of generations.

Blessed are the powerful but, hear me, far greater the blessing of those who use power to help and heal the broken for that is to their eternal credit.

-Jinny Henson   January 2017