One of the best things I’ve done in seasons of healing is to follow the path. If healing is my goal, which it is, I don’t want to leave any stone unturned. If it’s going to be painful, which it will be, I want to do everything in my power to learn what I need to learn in an effort to keep history from repeating itself.
I have a picture I took on I10 in Houston that says, “Until further notice, celebrate everything.” With so much negativity in our world and in our personal lives, I’m finding it more crucial than ever to focus on celebrating the positive. It’s always a good idea to celebrate love.
Valentine’s Day comes around each year. In recent years, with social media and our self-imposed freedom to talk a little louder, this holiday has become quite the hot topic. As pink and red everything and all the chocolate, candy word hearts, and flowers are made available, money is spent, opinions are shared, comparisons are made, hopes are dashed, tears are shed, joy is found, expectations are met or exceeded, and often, expectations are profoundly unsatisfied. And then, on February 15th, we find ourselves either basking in the glow or wallowing in the sorrow.
There are so many stories in the scripture that fit into the gospel of grace. It’s almost like God is trying to tell us something. (*sarcasm) We have stories of grace through the life of Noah, Joseph, Jonah, Job, Herod, Pharaoh, David, and Rahab. Then in the new testament, we have Paul, Timothy, Peter, Judas, and Pilate – just to name a few. Grace often looks completely different than what we might expect and even what we might want.
In learning about grace, what grace really is, what it actually looks like and that I needed to receive it just as much as anyone else does, the story of Jonah kept coming to mind. As I consider the story of Jonah, I realize that sometimes grace is messy. Sometimes God’s grace stinks. But it’s always good.
Empty Plate . Full Heart 