Good evening lovely's!
Whew, I am barely getting this in on Monday, but here it is. I just read the 1st chapter - it was quite interesting. Ann has a very unique way of writing to say the least. But I do appreciate her raw honesty and the sharing of her heart. It's pretty evident in the pages of her book. The starting out of her sister's death was very touching and I felt I was almost right there with her as she watched her sister's body lowered into the grave. I can't imagine that kind of loss personally. I do know when I lost both Grandpa's it was very challenging - especially of Grandpa Bergen's - maybe mostly because it is more recent. But even the thing with that , we knew he was mostly likely going to go to heaven...meaning we had a bit of time to 'prepare' I guess. Still does not make it easier really, but I remember times when I was busily working and just a wave of sadness and emotion would come over me. It's like I was mourning him leaving before he actually went to heaven. Death is very touchy....very real....very very raw.
And in that story I feel she set up a great analogy of where she was coming and her background. Something that struck me of her words was, "Where hides this joy of the Lord, this God who fills the earth with good things, and how do I fully live when life is full of hurt? How do I wake up to joy and peace and beauty and all that is the fullest life when I must stay numb to losses and crushed dreams and all that empties me out?" Most definitely questions to ponder. I've thought much similar things myself. I believe it comes down to believing Him. Am I going to trust Him, at His Words, like truly TRUST Him, with all that I am? I say that I do, but at the end of the day, I sometimes wonder. God has working on my heart on this very subject since Friday night at a Kelly Minter Conference, and there must be a reason God keeps bringing me in contact with this very thing. "Like all beliefs, you simply live them."
Another thing that struck me, is that gratitude does not come naturally. We are naturally fallen people, in a fallen world. And thanks to Adam and Eve, we have sin and much of it. "Satan's sin becomes the first sin of all humanity: the sin of ingratitude. Everywhere we look, we see a world of lack, a universe of loss, a cosmos of scarcity and injustice."
And where she wrote about communion was fascinating to me, especially the line, 'that table that restores relationship.' Interesting eh'? Look up several translations of 1 Corinthians 2:7(page 17) if you get a chance. I'm going to do the same. Also her comment of 'His secret purpose--our return to our full glory.' What do you think she means by that? What is grace to you?
So will finish up with this, and it's something I've been thinking a lot of. How do I replace resistance for action, loneliness for everlasting peace, sadness for cup-spilling-over joy? It's my prayer for this week. What is yours?
Journeying with you on God's faithful path, Miranda =)
Really sorry I'm so darn late on this! Because of that I'll just type what I wrote down after reading the first chapter.
ReplyDelete"What pain in this world is greater than the pain of separating ourselves from God? How can it be worth hanging onto that anger, than wound, that emptiness? We guard the door to our hearts, defiantly telling God, "No!" and then walk into the darkness of a lonely house [heart]."
The pain she displayed in the first chapter and the pain I've experienced whenever I push my Savior away is what made me think of that. After all, by her telling God "no" after the death of her little sister and all that followed, she felt the pain of those losses...and the pain of separation. Not one, but both.
I'll try to have a better response next time. Which, um, should've been yesterday!