Turning our mess into a message
Well, we have been in the season of Lent for 30 days now.
I’ve had the opportunity to do a few online workshops in a retreat-like setting. I’ve done more reading, more praying and more contemplating about my relationship with God. And honestly, I’m a bit of a mess these days. You?
How do we get closer to God when we feel sad?
How do we carry on when life is broken?
How can we be there for others when we feel so down ourselves?
I think most of us have been there at one point. Especially in this entire year of the Covid 19 Pandemic. We miss our families. We miss hugs. We miss our jobs, our workouts, our old life. We can feel alone even if we have a large family living with us.
Did you know that God can take our ‘mess’ and turn it into a ‘message’? Hosea 2:14 says, “Therefore I am now going to allure her, I will lead her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her….”
This is a ‘desert time’. We feel abandoned sometimes but actually we are not alone. Jesus has suffered unto the point of death and he walks with us when we are trying to endure our pain. He can take our mess and turn it into a message. How?
He can use us to preach love. And as it is said….” Sometimes use words”.
We can continue to love those in our lives by thinking of the ‘BE-attitudes’.
During a recent retreat with Bishop Frederick Henry from Calgary he mentioned that we can actually achieve holiness by dwelling on the Beatitudes…. He says….
“Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Blessed are those who trust in God and not in their wealth.)
“Blessed are those who mourn”( Blessed are those who feel sorrow for others and show compassion, sympathy, and mercy.” )
“ Blessed are the Gentle” …( easy one to understand , harder to remember to act upon.)
“Blessed are those who hunger for what is right.” (What a great , lifelong quest.)
“Blessed are the merciful…” (Blessed are those who make allowances for the faults and feelings of others.)
“Blessed are the clean of heart …” (Let us all strive for purity so that we may all see God one day. )
“Blessed are the peacemakers ….” (Oh let us be worthy to be called children of God. )
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness….”(Let us stand up for what is right and true and just. )
We all have the capacity to love. And when we love it is a verb ! ( not just a feeling) .
Another way of looking at it ,says Bishop Henry, is that we can act like a mirror. We ourselves are not the light but we can reflect the light.
And this is how God can take our mess and turn it into a message. Let us be the light for others because we all need community right now more than ever.
Let’s do every single thing in our lives….with love. THAT is the message.