When I thought about the losses we experienced this past year I was reminded of the grace God extended to us. In the end it afforded us both the possibility of blessing those who laid me aside in my role at Grace International School. Our response, instead of bitterness and anger, was made possible by Him and released us from being gripped by pain. For some people, when they experience being "laid aside" by the loss of a job, status, power, health, or freedom it can lock them in pain endlessly looping in anger and bitterness.
Our freedom in Christ came through praying a prayer of blessing over those who set me aside. Our obedience made it possible to see ourselves as He saw us. It also made it possible for us to ask, "So what are the possibilities now? What do you have for us next Lord?" God's grace and our response to loss made possible our embrace with CHANGE. We now serve as consultants to the church in Asia.
Yeah, its true our image felt more like the used stick broom to the left and above with shorter or fewer bristles (my haircut proves that point) but there's still plenty of beauty (Christ's presence) and usefulness in our lives and ministry. You know come to think of it, a picture was taken of that stick broom after all. It's the picture of us captured above. Moving forward from a sense of loss and of being set aside, our dear friends, Janet and Tom Matyas took the picture several months ago. It has become a stake in the ground declaring, "even set-aside stick brooms have life, beauty, and usefulness because of Christ."
"Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalm 73:25-26
We don't know what life has brought your way. If you're feeling set aside we're trusting the snapshot looming largest, consuming centerstage, like our stick broom image, is a God-inspired one. It's not an image based on your value, usefulness, or purpose dependent upon features like the length of your bristles or whether or not you even have any to fill your broom's handle. Keep in mind God showed up through a donkey and can certainly show up through a stick as He did with Moses. Lives hidden in Christ have beauty, usefulness, purpose, and meaningful possibilities. As you think of some of those for the stick, let us know and we'll include your ideas in our blog along with this week's update.
We love and appreciate each of you so very much. We are thankful for the beauty and fragrance each of your lives brings to mind even if you are in a season where you might feel like all you are is a heap of ashes. The truth is that even in that place God can intersect with you by His Spirit revealing himself in and through you as in no other place or time. It's with great hope in Christ for the future of all God's children (stick brooms) that we live and have our being.
"To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for his own glory." NLT Isaiah 61:3
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