Blessed to be Broken

As I watched a reel this morning on changing seasons, I felt overwhelmed with gratitude. Tears welled up in my eyes and the overflow gently rolled down my cheeks.

Maybe in part due to the beautiful melody playing, or the pictures they chose to accompany said melody.

Either way, they helped stir that emotional overload in my being that needed relief.

I think more so, that overflow of emotions was out of genuine gratitude to God for the many seasons He’s allowed me to walk through. And not just the good ones, but the bad, and the ugly ones too.

I dunno. Something shifted. I know I’ve said it a thousand and twelve times before, but it was like it truly hit me in my heart this time. I could finally lovingly embrace the journey that once upon time almost ended me.

Today’s not a given. It’s a gift. It’s not the same as yesterday. Yesterday for some, was life changing. I’ve gotten far too comfortable in thinking “that couldn’t happen to me.”

I’m not a “the sky is falling” kind of girl. But, I do believe there is going to be an ends time. I believe, that started back with Adam and Eve and each day since has been a deliberate gift from God and one day closer to that end.

This is it folks. We only get this one life here on earth. What are you doing with it? Where are you wasting your time? How are you walking out life’s open door?

Trust me, I’m asking myself the same questions.

What have we chosen as our worry for the day? Where have we decided there’s no way out of the mess we’ve made in our finite thinking?

Because, let me assure you, God has made a way! Allow me to show you.

“Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.” ~ 2 Chronicles 7:14

People ask where God is all the time. Yet, are we doing what He says?

• Humble yourself
• Pray
• Seek God’s face
• Turn from your wicked ways

But if I dig a little deeper, I see “if MY people.”

Who are His people?

Those called by His name.

Because the ones who aren’t His people can’t be expected to follow an unknown to them God. For they follow their own worldly god.

So, to the ones who are called by His name, are we answering that call? To humble ourselves. To pray. To seek God’s face. And most importantly, at least for me, turning from our wicked ways?

If I’m to believe God’s word, I would say, no. No we’re not. And by we’re, I mean me too.

I don’t say this as condemnation but let’s keep things real, and call this a reality heart check.

I’m not quite done with our verse. There’s a small looking but rather large word meaning in this text. “IF”.

“If my people.”

In my brain, I think, He didn’t say when my people. When would be, at least in my understanding, it’s gonna happen. If, to me, implies, it could happen.

So where does that lead us?

Right to the very heart of why I need Jesus. On any given day, left to my own devices, I can easily be like Jonah. Running in the total opposite direction of where, and what God says to go, and do.

If you don’t know the story about Jonah and the giant fish that swallowed him up, you can read it here:

Jonah

Jonah didn’t want to help the wayward people. He didn’t even think the people God wanted to save were worthy to be saved. Basically, he didn’t like them in any way, shape or form.

But you know who did love those wayward people? God. God loved them.

Jonah wanted the people of Tarshish to perish for their wicked, and evil ways.

God, wanted to save them. So much so, He sent a reluctant messenger named Jonah to preach against the wickedness in the city of Tarshish,

Now, if you read that and only saw the word “wickedness” and you got a little bejiggity in your being, I dare say, you missed the very first thing I said.

God wanted to save them. Why? Because He loved them.

That was a hard pill for Jonah to swallow. It’s a hard pill for many, even those called by His name, to swallow.

In a world with so much divide, let’s not forget, that Jesus also came down from Heaven during tumultuous, and heavy handed times.

He set the example to follow. He’s the One we’re called to be like. Not like the people in the Bible. Not like any other human on the planet. Why? Because they were/are flawed, just like us. Why would we choose to be like any other flawed human being?

I’m not saying they didn’t set some good examples, and we have something to learn from them. I’m just saying, we’re not called to live or be like them.

Lord knows we got enough on our plates without trying to be like anyone else other than who God calls us to be.

Today may be a new day, but it’s not a given for the generations who’ve gone before us.

We have no clue when death is gonna come knocking on our door, but rest assure, it will happen.

Yet, so many are already living like the walking dead when there’s an abundance of life happening all around us.

Life doesn’t happen independently of community. Isolation is crippling to our souls. We were never meant to be on an island of one.

If the movie Cast Away taught us anything, it’s that volley balls with a painted face, can only provide a one-sided conversation.

Although, it was still heartbreaking when Wilson finally drifted on to a new destination. We all felt that pull to want to get in the ocean and go get that dang ball.

It just goes to show you, how desperate one can get being so alone they make a volleyball their friend.

As I stated earlier, this is it friends. This is your life and we’re only here for a short time.

Is it really worth living this one life with a soul filled with rage, hate, and malice? Where has that gotten us?

Maybe today, we can begin to lay the rage down. Unity happens when compassion finds its way home.

I think we could all use a big scoop of compassion right about now.

Ok, let’s wrap this up.

I’ll leave you with this prayer from St. Francis of Assisi. Or, if like me, you sang this song in Catholic school back in the day, feel free to sing it:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

And all God’s people, said, AMEN!