Broken hearts are everywhere

Irish Missionary, Amy Carmichael undertook a very serious calling to serve in the poor communities of India. She founded the Dohnavur Fellowship, which sought to rescue young girls from being enslaved in forced prostitution. One can only imagine some of the things that she saw in her ministry:

She wrote these words: "Broken hearts are everywhere. Bereavement is a very dark forest.”

Later on in life, when she faced her own pain and grief, she wrote:

“Look up to the light that pours into the forest from high above the trees. The long, pure rays of that conquering light are interwoven with the tall stems of the trees, even as threads bright and dark are interwoven with in the web of our lives.”

 These are such compelling words for us, especially when we find ourselves in dark places, or that we sense the "trees" closing in on us. Let us remember: 

“The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness.” – Psalm 18:28

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Fallen Soldier

I came across a lovely poem from Branden Hildago called Fallen Soldier. In memory of all who have died in wars and conflicts around the world. We also remember all the innocent victims of violence and war. Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayers.

Fallen Soldier All Alone
Fallen Soldier Far From Home.
Trickling Down His Face A Tear,
Forgetting How It Feels To Fear
Death And All It's Fate And Glory.
Now It's Here, No Need To Worry.

Fallen Soldier All Alone
Fallen Soldier Far From Home
He's One Of Those They'll All Forget;
The Life He Lived, The Goals He Set,
The Ones He Loved, The Ones Who Wait
To See His Nearly Forgotten Face.

Fallen Soldier All Alone
Fallen Soldier Far From Home
Now Breathing's Just A Waste Of Breath
And Living's Just A Waste Of Death
As He Searches For A New Address;
A Brand New Home Free Of Loneliness.

Fallen Soldier All Alone
Fallen Soldier Far From Home
Lying Motionless On The Ground,
The Battle Raging All Around.
For Now He Is Not All Alone.
This Fallen Soldier Is Welcomed Home.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Blue Monday

Monday's can be a little depressing for many people. A lot of this has to do with it being the first day of the week for many folk and so it marks the return to the 'grind-stone.' However, today is a 'Blue Monday' for me for a number of different reasons. Let me share these with you and then make a reflection.

In the main, it has been a deeply sad day because I have heard of a number of deaths today. Two colleagues of mine from the Methodist Church passed away due to Covid - they were both in the prime of their lives, but contracted the virus. I grieve for their loss, for their families, their communities and the loss for the church. 

I also heard of two other deaths - both deeply saddening and traumatic. I grieve for each member of those families and for their overwhelming sorrow and loss. It all seems too much. 

So, where do we turn and how do we recover from such grief? We can turn to the pages of the Scriptures, as well as the wisdom of those who have also endured great loss, and yet have had the strength to carry on. One of these people is St. Augustine. In his work "The City of God" he writes of heaven:

"We shall rest and we shall see,
we shall see and we shall love,
we shall love and we shall praise,
in the end, which is no end."

If you have also had to deal with grief during this time of the pandemic, I urge you to remember that God is still with us. God never let's us go, despite what our circumstances may tell us.

John 17:1-4 - You put him (the Messiah) in charge of everything human, so he might give real and eternal life to all in his care. And this is the real and eternal life: That they know you, The one and only true God, And Jesus Christ, whom you sent. (The Message)

Living in Grace

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Just like Job

"And I declared that the dead, who had already died, are happier than the living,  who are still alive. But better than both is the one who has never been born, who has not seen the evil  that is done under the sun." - Ecclesiastes 4:2-3

Solomon's woes continue in today's reading and his words sound a lot like the words of Job, who also lamented that the day he was born. "After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth" (Job 3:1)

If we dissect Solomon's thoughts in these 2 verses, we can see that he is highlighting three groups of people. Firstly, those who have died. Secondly, those who are still alive and then, thirdly, those people who are still to be born. This is all done with the background of his observation of oppression. His response to those who have no comforter (both the oppressed and oppressors) is this:

1. The dead are better off, because they are now free from the pain and trials of this oppressive world.

2. Those of us who are alive are worst off, because we still need to witness the agony of oppression and 'heart-break' in our world.

3. Those who are best off are the unborn children, as they are still innocent and haven't yet had their hearts broken by the sins of humanity.

Shew, this is all a little too depressing for me to be honest. Thankfully, we know the Good News that comes from Jesus Christ and that our Saviour offers us hope in the midst of all our struggles. Jesus offers us 'the abundant life' even though there is still pain all around us. For me, Jesus Christ gives me a reason to push through all the heart-break I see around me.

What do you think?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

When knowledge hurts

    

It never really occurred to me that knowledge could cause you more hurt. As first glance it doesn't even make sense. However, the more I think about it, the more I understand what Solomon was getting at:

"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief." - Ecclesiastes 1:18

If you think about it like this, it may make more sense: When we read the newspaper, watch the TV or search the internet, we are gaining knowledge all the time. Each article or post we read we are gathering more information and hence acquiring more knowledge. Some of this information is good for us, but there is a whole lot that can also make us depressed.

Another reason why we acquire knowledge is so that we can try answer the complex questions of life. However, the more we delve into various collections of wisdom, discoveries, history and information, we begin to realise how little we actually know. That can also be depressing.

What do you think Solomon means by verse 18? 

"Much learning earns you much trouble. The more you know, the more you hurt." (Eugene Peterson)

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Feeling Lost during Lockdown

Good day friends. I just wanted to share this article with you on some of my experiences during Lockdown. It is on the Scripture Union website, but you can read it here.

If you have felt a little lost at some point during lockdown then you may find the article an interesting read. It also has some connection with dealing with our grief and the things we feel we have had to let go off during these strange days.

God bless you
Living in Grace

D3LM3

Sadness of Heart

"so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.”- Nehemiah 2:2

People can see into our hearts. Well, certainly people who know us well enough - they can see when something is troubling us. The King knew Nehemiah well enough to recognise that he was wrestling with a 'sadness of heart.' Nehemiah was not showing any other visible signs of illness, but his heart was breaking.

It was through this honest exchange with the King that Nehemiah was able to express what was on his heart and in the end he returned to Israel in order to rebuild the wall in Jerusalem.

Sometimes it is very important that we express what is weighing us down to another human being. And if you struggle to do that, then at least share this with Christ.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Tears in heaven - Lent 1

"Bitterly she weeps at night, 
tears are upon her cheek." - Lamentations 1:2

As I was reading this verse from Lamentations I suddenly thought of the song by Eric Clapton, Tears in Heaven. He wrote the words to this song after his 4 year old son Conor plunged to his death in 1992.

The loss of a loved one is enough to make anyone weep at night and to "wipe tears from our cheeks". Death makes us wonder if there will be tears in heaven (which the book of Revelation points out that there won't be) - and what heaven will be like.

As we start this journey on Lent, it is helpful for us to be in a state of 'grief' - not so much grief at the loss of a loved one, but rather grief at our sin and what that cost Jesus. Lent teaches us to focus on the Hope we are given through Jesus, but also that this came at a great cost.

Psalm 30:5 - "For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favour lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning."

Living in Grace
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Isaiah 63:9

"In all their distress he too was distressed
and the angel of his presence saved them.
In his love and mercy he redeemed them;
he lifted them up and carried them 
all the days of old." - Isaiah 63:9

There are so many gems in this one verse, but the one I hold onto today, is this line....
"In all their distress he too was distressed."

It reminds me that even when I feel broken and distressed that God is with me - in fact, God also feels distressed! God empathises with us and knows what we are going through. Even though he knows our pain, he is strong enough to carry us through our difficult times. In His love He lifts us up and carries us home.

Thank you Lord, for this great blessing today.
May this verse encourage you greatly today.

Living in Grace
D3LM3