I experienced the exhilaration of a triumph yesterday as our church rallied to the challenge made by our young assistant Pastor. He laid out a vision to reach into the lives of the kids who wander the streets of our town. His passion and the inspiration of the Spirit of God were powerful and, in a moment, our little congregation stepped forward and raised the budget he requested for the first year of “The Vault,” giving and pledging nearly $30,000! I thought I might dance, but only the realization that some might think I was having a seizure restrained the impulse. (Smile!) Against that moment of glory I am confronted by darkness today. As I write these words, my Mom lies a few feet away in great pain, each soft moan tearing at my heart. The frail nature of our human flesh is inescapably evident in the lines that the pain of her cancer etches into her face. I am not ashamed to admit that I cannot stop the tears from sliding down my cheeks.
What may strike you as strange is my conviction that God is just as present in here in Mom’s sickroom as He was yesterday in our worship gathering. He has purpose in both, though today’s purpose is more elusive to my understanding than yesterday’s! I embrace the pain and the joy allowing both to do their work of driving me to the arms of my Abba. There was a time in my life when I believed that being stoic, suppressing emotion as much as possible, was best. That choice robbed me in ways I did not then know, but now I clearly see.
Jesus said that our sorrow would be turned to joy. As He spoke of His imminent appointment with the Cross, He told the disciples "you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy." (John 16:20-22, NIV) Something would emerge from that Dark Day on Calvary that would release unending joy!
The pattern continues in our daily experience as a Christian, I believe. We find ourselves confronted by a cross, a choice to walk the way of death to Self, and everything in us shudders. We want to run, to choose another way, to refuse to feel or know His leading. But, if we will let Him lead through the pain, there is a Glory to be discovered.
Here’s the word from the Word. It is a hard word, full of promise, but only on the other side of pain. Receive it with faith today.
"So all of us … see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image." (2 Corinthians 3:18, NLT) "We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies." (2 Corinthians 4:8-11, NLT)
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