I've been in church literally all my life, and today I saw something that I have never seen before.
A woman in our church recently lost her 36-year-old daughter. She had been ill for a very long time, but this mom was caring for her daughter at home. Anyway, while you usually read a "thank you" note from a grieving family in the church newsletter, today, this woman and her extended family members came before the church to read their "thank you" letter publicly, acknowledging the church's support during the daughter's many months of illness and subsequent death two weeks ago. To me, seeing that strong woman standing there, with her family around her...well, it was a picture of courage.
It gave me a lot to think about. Facing the challenges in life requires courage. There is only one place where real courage can be found, and that is at the foot of the cross. Oh, I want to be more like Jesus! And I see Him in such a real way in this precious woman at my church. I know she is holding on to Him for dear life, and I know that He is meeting her here, at her point of great need. To me, she is a lot like the character Naomi in the Old Testament. She does not understand what is going on or why things have happened the way they have, but she still loves, believes, trusts, and worships God. And that is where she finds this incredible courage.
Lots of tears at church today. And tears are a good thing!
Sunday, January 20, 2008
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1 comment:
Thank you so much for visiting my "Wet Cement" blog! You could have knocked me over with a feather when I read your comment (and then I became totally dazzled and starstruck).
THANK YOU!
I did not know you had a blog but now that I do I will return! (And I'll have to settle in with a diet coke sometime and look through the archives!)
Thanks for your book. It really fed me and told me what I needed to hear when my son was a newborn. You have no idea! I was in tears sometimes reading your words, just grateful to have something so real and honest and supportive as I struggled with midnight feedings, learning to be a mother and the general exhaustion!
I could go on and on but--I'll spare you. Thank you again for stopping by my blog and come back ANYTIME! :)
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