Skip to main content

Embrace the Sadness

John 11:35 Jesus wept.

It's the easiest verse in the Bible to memorize and yet it has such profound meaning.  We know that Jesus understands our pain and our struggle because he went through horrific pain and struggle.  We often forget that he understands our sadness too.  Jesus had dear friends whom he loved very deeply.  He experienced sadness in the case of Lazarus.  It's fascinating to me that Jesus knew he would raise Lazarus from the dead and yet he wept over his death.  Jesus had a complete understanding of what was about to happen and he still felt the sadness.  This is where I am at certain moments of this journey.  I know where Mom is and I know Who she is with, and all with complete certainty and peace.  This peace that passes all understanding does not remove the sadness that is very real.  The sadness provides a time for me to intentionally connect with God on a very personal level and the Spirit is closer than ever in those moments.  The Comforter is a master at His job because He knows exactly what it is to feel deep sadness.  I embrace my sadness because I feel it bringing the Spirit into my life in an even deeper presence.  He is worth it!

Comments

  1. Thank you Abbie! How comforting it is to know that God shares our sadness, cries with us, and is there to comfort us through our hardships. I embrace my sadness as you have, knowing that brings me closer to Him.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dry Bones

Ezekiel 37:14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land.  Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord. This is God's word through Ezekiel in the Valley of the Dry Bones.  There are a couple of thoughts that come to mind with this verse.  First, I have to admit that sometimes I feel as though I have dry bones.  I continue on my path and lose sight of the One who brings life. At times I am surrounded by things, people, or situations that suck the life out of me and I need the breath of life from the Spirit again.  It is a conscious effort for me to not involve myself in things that are life taking.  I make the decision to spend alone time with Jesus in order to experience His life giving power.  Second, one word in particular stands out to me in this verse.  It is the word settle.  It is speaking to me today of a peace and calm that is ahead.  Things ha...

Signs of His Work

Joshua 4:6 to serve as a sign among you.  In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' I realize this is a very fragmented verse, but go with it.  This got me to thinking.  What are the stones in my life that serve as signs of God's work in my life?  I am not a big fan of material items because I don't really care about stuff.  It's just that, stuff.  So, I've had to think a little harder about this.  The obvious sign of God's current work is the tennis bracelet I wear in memory of Mom.  Other obvious signs that might include my Bible, Dalton's grandmother's wedding ring, and my wedding ring.  However, if I think of the things in my life that are the most evident of God's work, it would be the stories of the different journeys God and I have been on together.  The story of how I got my current job and the multitude of "God things" that surrounded that moment.  The story of a college friend telling me, "...

By Grace

Romans 11:6 And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. Works and grace are two terms that are so difficult to grasp in the Christian walk.  We know that if we are living by grace then works should be seen.  The issue is that we often times try to do the works on our own rather than letting the works be a by-product of the Spirit within us.  We take over our own lives trying to do good and be good rather than letting the grace of God work in us to transform us into the new creation that is good. Instead, we like to list off all of the ways we have shown God's goodness to those around us, or how we've conquered a sinful habit, or how we've been nice to someone who was not.  Unfortunately, these are what become the "works" Paul wrote about.  We completely remove God's grace from our lives and therefore lose sight of what is most important, the Spirit working in us to transform us.  It is a tricky concept and ...