"For I know the plans I have for you", says the Lord, "plans to prosper and not to harm you, plans for a hope and a future." The Bible, Book of Jeremiah, Chapter 29, v. 11 ~ With love, God
She was saved by God, rock and roll, and potato chips
Becoming A Light In the Darkness
4/12/22
Well Hello Angel,
How are you doing this week?
Do you celebrate Easter or Passover?
Today we had a little Palm Sunday presentation by the younger children of the church – it definitely ended up being more comedy than dramedy! One of the ‘improv’ moments came when the child that was the only shepherd and therefore had sole possession and power of the shepherd’s hook, kept hooking his little brother, who was a lamb, and pulling him towards him while their mom the pastor looked on and tried to ‘officiate’ (humorously) while narrating the play. ’Twas good to laugh like that, as a congregation. Huzzah to the actors who hammed it up, young and old alike!
As mentioned in the previous post there’s been a lot going on these last couple of weeks. One of the biggies is I had mailed out the letters mentioned and let’s just say, it caused a greater stir than anticipated. I will be meeting with one of the younger generation Monday to discuss the abuse, so I’m a bit (ok, A LOT) atwitter about how it’ll go. I have no intention of throwing anyone under the bus nor causing pain for the sake of nothing better to do. I just pray to be heard, and then let her and her husband do what they think is best for their own family. I’m glad they didn’t dismiss the letter straight away and so grateful she’s compassionately giving me a chance to have my say.
I KNOW I did the right thing, and have peace to some degree about that aspect of it. I’m just not that big a fan of having so little control of the outcome (as if I had control to begin with!).
Also, I’ll be one of the speakers at a retreat I help out at in May. I have a 20 minute talk that needs to be finished in a week in order to be reviewed by the powers that be. I’ve known this needs to get written for a couple of months so now here I am, thinking it might be time to get started. My (perhaps misguided :)) philosophy is, procrastination means it’ll get done quicker; if I started it in February I’d still be working, editing, and obsessing about it. This way, I’ve only been obsessing this whole time instead of actually accomplishing anything, and now get to mentally hyperventilate as I rush to get it written and practiced in a week!
The rest of the post is another devotional I wrote for the GLPers.
O.k., let’s be real. Some of you must have me figured out by now, so you know a ‘pre-holiday’ post probably won’t be quite what you were expecting.
So . . .
Yes, I’m sure all of us GLPers understand in an incomprehensible way the unfathomable love that was poured out for us imperfect mortals a couple thousand years ago, and we are so very grateful, humbled, and appreciative to a degree that is impossible to put into words.
But not everybody who understands can rejoice over it right now.
We may comprehend that the Light overcame darkness when our Savior rose from the dead to bring us eternal life, but some people’s hearts may still be entombed in grief, depression, oppression, or any other emotionally numbing place that keeps them from experiencing the joy the rest of the Christian world seems to be celebrating.
And that can end up being o.k., because so frequently it’s those that could only experience the dark even on the supposedly most joy filled days who will eventually be able to empathetically comfort, sympathetically sit in the darkness with, and bring the muted promise of love, joy and resurrection to others when their grief keeps them too buried to see the Light. It’s the people who had the courage to sit in their own shadows with their eyes (and heart) open to truth and healing who can help lead others out of their own pit.
Thank You, Jesus our Savior, for what You did for all of us out of pure love, humility, power and obedience in spite of Your own fears and pain. Thank You, Holy Spirit, that You see into our hearts and are conveying all the heartfelt but verbally inexpressible feelings of sincere awe and genuine desire to continually grow deeper into the love, mystery, and freedom that Jesus so selflessly died to give us, even when we can’t experience and live it out loud yet. And praise, honor and glory to You, God, that You can always (if we let You) redeem one person’s pain in order for them to help lead other wounded souls towards Your healing love and Light.
In Jesus anem, AMEN!
You may enjoy the song “The Light” by Disturbed. (Please, give it a try in spite of the band name!:)) The awesome lyrics are under the video.
