Thinking this week about grief, broken relationships, and disappointed expectations, and came across these quotes:
These words by Ann VosKamp, discovered by my daughter a couple of years ago during the throes of a broken heart; we were both grieving, and she shared this with me - I have often reread it since:
"Make us humble people who are never afraid of broken things...because Christ is always doing a new thing."
Rosaria Butterfield, posted on Facebook this week by a sweet friend:
"All affliction is meant to direct us to the fountain of life, Jesus Christ Himself."
This, from Tim Keller:
"God is confident we will look back and be lost in wonder at the spectacular love that planned even our darkest moments."
If you know anything about VosKamp, Butterfield, or Keller, you know that these individuals are intimately acquainted with deep grief and disappointment. And yet their words on the topic of suffering speak of Christ, satisfaction, and hope.
Psalm 56:8 tells us that God has "stored my tears in [his] bottle and counted each one of them."
2 Corinthians 4:17 tells us that our present afflictions "are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all."
In Matthew 5:4, our Savior tells us: "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."
Psalm 136:5 says that "those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!"
I have been thinking about those many past tears, because this week...
That dear, sweet someone is all smiles. And gratitude. And joy. And sunshine. (And a little bit of sunburn, too.)
She has testified, too many times to count: "God has been so incredibly good to me."
...but joy comes in the morning.
My heart overflows with gratitude and praise.
God is SO very good indeed.
No comments:
Post a Comment