September 11, 2004
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beauty for ashes
i decided to take a walk this afternoon. i ended up at the bookstore. i was there for 6 hours. when i got out of the store, darkness was all around, the air was brisk and cold, and the question seemed to linger in the air – can God really exchange beauty for ashes? can He? can He really?
can God take a lifeless life and give it life? for sorrow, will there be joy? for wounds, will there be healing? for tears, will there be laughter? can an adulteress woman be made pure? can a sinner be forgiven? can the lonely heart be filled to fullness overflowing? is there hope for the one in the deepest depths of despair?
the hope of it. the possibility of it. causes me to stand in breathless shock.
the promise of isaiah 61 will make every desperate heart stop.
walking back home, i pondered the question, do i really believe this? do i believe God’s promises?
will He really give me as wonderful a life as He promises in His Word? the question still lingers in the air.
Comments (2)
the answer is a deep deep YES
but same as you…. it awes me, perplexes me, amazes me, troubles me even… that God is SO LIFE-GIVING. to take our pain… and return it with love that surrounds us no matter what pain may befall us.
wow you make norcal bookstores seem like magical lands…. take me with you! (in your thoughts) i want to be awed at God like you too
yes! He gives beauty AND a crown. I’ve loved having you here Mry-girl.