I was up much later than I ought to have been, and I found myself engaged in an online chat conversation with a friend of mine for over an hour. I got a glimpse into this person's life that night. This woman has not had it easy. Her husband suffers severely from diabetes and is on dialysis. His disease dramatically affects their four person family on a daily basis. To learn more about her story, you can follow it on her blog. This is her current struggle, but it is only one in a line up of many over the course of her lifetime.
She is one of those people that you can only stand back and be impressed with. But not because she herself is applaudable, but because you realize how amazing God is to carry someone through so much pain and difficulty with such grace. She is strong because God has made her strong. She is joyful because in Christ she has found joy. She is faithful because even in the midst of times when it does not seem fair that one person should endure so much, she knows through the Holy Spirit that the Lord is ultimately sufficient. And this type of courage and grace not only bleeds out of her heart touching others, but you see this spirit flowing throughout the whole family.
She is one of those people that you can only stand back and be impressed with. But not because she herself is applaudable, but because you realize how amazing God is to carry someone through so much pain and difficulty with such grace. She is strong because God has made her strong. She is joyful because in Christ she has found joy. She is faithful because even in the midst of times when it does not seem fair that one person should endure so much, she knows through the Holy Spirit that the Lord is ultimately sufficient. And this type of courage and grace not only bleeds out of her heart touching others, but you see this spirit flowing throughout the whole family.
We stayed up till almost 3 am talking. And I learned a lot that night. I was reminded that it doesn't matter how significant or insignificant, how painful or how trivial, God cares desperately about the details of our lives, yet how often do we really (and I mean really) lean on this truth? When we live and breathe in faith that He will provide and sustain, pain is not only endured, it is -- somehow -- embraced. What a beautiful thing. He truly does give beauty for ashes.
"God sent me to...
care for the needs of all who mourn...
give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes,
messages of joy instead of news of doom,
a praising heart instead of a languid spirit."
Isaiah 61:3, The Message
4 comments:
Wow, Thank you. That was beautiful and it touched me. You get it, you see and I know it is Him who made you see. This is exactly how I see my life and why God has allowed so much pain. You blessed me today.
What a beautiful post about someone with such a beautiful soul. Julie is a dear friend and it touched me to read your eloquent words about her. Thank you!
Very true, Maribeth! Thanks for the words!
As a long-time friend of Julie, I can truly say I know of no one else who carries with her the joy that Julie does, even in the midst of seemingly endless tribulations. What a wonderful blessing!
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