We must die multiple deaths this side of heaven. Death to dreams, agendas, plans, relationships, reputation, ideals... Pain is inevitable on this life-journey. Surrendering our agenda to God brings freedom, in that we don't bear the weight fully of the myriad of decisions we must make daily. He promises mercy and He promises to bring good out of the deaths we die if we love Him. Only God has the power to bring resurrection. Surrender is freeing, but never easy.
Not surrendering is to die those deaths and have no blessing from the losses we experience. With God is always hope. With God there is promise for redeeming our losses. With God, there is strength to face the future with joy that He is about the business of fulfilling us as only He can. Fully, perfectly. For the joy of being with Him, every pain endured has great value.
The seed must go into the ground in darkness and die in order for the plant to grow and bear life-giving fruit. Through painful labor a baby is born. These are parables for us to glean from in times of pain. Saying, "Hope!"
When we embarked on this journey with Jesus, when He held out His hand and said, "come." We didn't know what was ahead. We have died many deaths. Not nearly as painful as many who are close to me. Not death of a child, not death to our health, but small deaths. For me personally, a death to a season of life due to anxiety induced depression. I look back and see myself lifeless in my mission. Like an over-boiled noodle.
Today saying goodbye again to Dale at the airport, a little death. Life has been a strain for him at work these past six weeks. He is quiet. For anyone who knows him...not his usual self. The job is hard. the surrender of the farm dream is hard. Not having control over the future is hard. And all we have... after letting go of everything familiar...well, it is more than enough, for we have God. And God is all we need. We can trust that He holds the future. He has always been good. He has a secure plan and knowing that is enough.
Luke 9:23 Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."
4 comments:
Oh friend...I LOVE...LOVE...LOVE...your post today. It turly spoke to my heart...and my hubby and I are..once again..facing the 'death' (of sorts) of what we thought God was doing.....planning.....now only to be uprooted again.....feeling much uncertainty.....yet knowing...with him all things are certain.
I'm so thankful that in the midst of the unknown....I know...that he DOES have a plan...a purpose....even in the midst of the confusion......unknowing....questinoing.....and wondering.
Praying for you today dear friend.
Kim~
So true, Kathy. I think God has to work like that in our lives. We hold onto things so tight. At least I do. My last job I thought I would retire from. He had to make things so unbearable for me before I would shake loose. My health went downhill FAST which made relationships go BAD there, and the two in combination made my work suffer. It was so clear to see it was time to move on.
I sat at home with no job, awful health, a close friend since high school (we worked together) who didn't support me. I was lost. All I had was God.
But after that I had so much time for other areas of my life. And it was after this that I was finally diagnosed. I did find another job (not nearly the pay I was getting though) but I LOVE IT! God is good.
Here is me - after the death. I survived. You will survive and be so much better for it, Kathy. Just a long windy way to say it:) <3
It's this dying to self that I find so difficult.
But when I have faith God holds my dreams with more care than I can on my own, it becomes easier.
Thanks for sharing this today!
You totally could have linked it with Unwrapping His Promises blog carnival. :)
Yes, there is life in the dying. Christ exemplified this Himself. In His death we have life.
And in our deaths, both big and small, there is life. But sometimes, it feels as though that "life" is still little more than a seedling.
I'm praying for you as you trust and wait. Your words bring life to all who hear and know.
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