Majestic God

Searching for Meaning and Purpose--Grace

"Why did Rachel die?"  That's not really a question I've allowed myself to ask, but instead have asked many times, "How is God glorifying himself through this and is there meaning and purpose in it for us to learn?"

Through my pondering, processing and grieving one theme has continuously come to the surface and that is GRACE.  God has been showing and teaching our family a deeper meaning of grace, I think, in a wide variety of ways.  Do I wish he would have taught them to us in a different way?  Absolutely--I would do anything not to have to experience this pain.  But I'd like to share with you a few of the ways God has portrayed his grace (in no particular order):

Grace in feeling God near even at our lowest.  One of the songs that has been playing frequently while I struggled through processing pictures and my own emotions is the song "Never Once" by Matt Redman.

Grace in holding each other when one of us fell apart and supporting each other as we grieved in our own ways.


Grace in the ability to forgive the Ghanaians who made our grief all the more difficult.


Grace in the prayers and support of so many around the world, mission and blood families and friends known and unknown.

Grace in realizing and accepting that Rachel wasn't just our daughter, sister, wife...but gave of herself to everyone.  We had a very difficult time finding pictures of Rachel by herself because she was always there for others.  There were also comments made on the memorial site to the effect of, "I only met Rachel once, but have never forgotten her."


Grace in holding our family a little closer.

 

 

If God had asked to take Rachel so others might be drawn closer to him or come to know him for the first time--could we have give her up freely?  There is Grace in the unknown.


Grace and healing in family worship.

Grace in loving children who didn't understand what was going on completely and in having patience to answer their many questions.

Grace in laughter and play together, despite our sorrow and pain.

Grace in the assurance we will see Rachel again some day so it's not "good-bye" but "See you later!".

Photo by Ian

Grace in the assurance that God will continue to heal, comfort and glorify his name.

Photo Drop

Well, we've had a busy summer!  I've taken lots of pictures and this morning finally finished editing them up to the end of August.  There were several occasions I wanted to blog individually but since so much time has passed and I have California pictures to edit and post about, this is going to be a one post catch up.  Here goes:

It was one of those random days I was having a hard time with Micah missing a hand and struggling to do something.  I had to quick run out to the shed for a minute and my eye caught this spider--missing two legs.  It was a God-reminder for me that sin, depravity, disabilities has touched every area of life, even the animal kingdom.  Yet this spider was still able to spin it's web and it was a good reminder for me that God will equip Micah perfectly for the work he has planned for him.



Great Grandma (my mom's mom) from Colorado came to visit her sisters for a week and we got to spend some good quality time with her as well.  Dad and Mom just happened to be coming through again for their final night's stay before heading out east while she was here which was really neat.

The one day dad and mom were back in town they helped me pick 30lbs of blue berries.  I'm pretty sure Micah ate at least half that amount off the bushes!

The beginning of August Don and Bryan both had birthdays.

One week Bryan asked me to go out to one of their bigger job sites and take pictures for their website.  The boys scored some excavator time with their daddy, too.

This picture of Brandon just makes me smile.  ;)

Brandon's birthday.  What better way to start the morning then licking the batter of your cake before breakfast!

And that takes us to the end of August.  We had a spectacular time in California and I'm very excited to get started editing the 980 or so pictures from the week, but now I really need to get some "real" work done.

Blessings on your day.

Glorying in God

May you see and experience God's awesome deeds on this the Lord's Day.
Sabbath Blessings

Grace

Lately I've been thinking a lot about grace.  This morning "Grace" by Laura Story played on Pandora and it's a powerful song.

Grace

by Laura Story

My heart is so proud. My mind is so unfocused.
I see the things You do through me as great things I have done.
And now You gently break me, then lovingly You take me
And hold me as my father and mold me as my maker.

[Chorus:]
I ask you: "How many times will you pick me up,
When I keep on letting you down?
And each time I will fall short of Your glory,
How far will forgiveness abound?"
And You answer: " My child, I love you.
And as long as you're seeking My face,
You'll walk in the power of My daily sufficient grace."

At times I may grow weak and feel a bit discouraged,
Knowing that someone, somewhere could do a better job.
For who am I to serve You? I know I don't deserve You.
And that's the part that burns in my heart and keeps me hanging on.

[Chorus:]
I ask you: "How many times will you pick me up,
When I keep on letting you down?
And each time I will fall short of Your glory,
How far will forgiveness abound?"
And You answer: " My child, I love you.
And as long as you're seeking My face,
You'll walk in the power of My daily sufficient grace."
You are so patient with me, Lord.

As I walk with You, I'm learning what Your grace really means.
The price that I could never pay was paid at Calvary.
So, instead of trying to repay You, I'm learning to simply obey You
By giving up my life to you For all that You've given to me.

[Chorus:]
I ask you: "How many times will you pick me up,
When I keep on letting you down?
And each time I will fall short of Your glory,
How far will forgiveness abound?"
And You answer: " My child, I love you.
And as long as you're seeking My face,
You'll walk in the power of My daily sufficient grace."

Living because of Easter

Evergreen

Topped
with an earthbound angel,
burdened
with man-made stars,
tinsel-draped,
but touched with no
true gold,
cropped, girdled
with electricity--
why be
a temporary tree,
glass-fruited, dry,
uprooted?

When you may be
planted with purpose
in a flowered field,
and where,
living in clean light,
strong air,
crowned with
the repeated gold
of every evening,
every night
real stars may nest
in your elbow,
rest
be found in your shade,
healing
in your perennial green,
and from deep springs your roots
may suck enough to swell
within you
the Spirit's sweetest fruits.

~ Luci Shaw

May this week find you ever more renewed with the fruits of the Spirit very much alive in your lives--because of Easter.

(P52-Sacrifice)

Ash Wednesday

May this season of Lent be a season of renewal of your faith, refreshing for your soul and a time to marvel at God's grace and forgiveness.

Ash Wednesday Blessings to you all.

And yet there is Beauty

Snow is COLD--I don't like being cold so I don't like snow very much.  This kind of snow gets into my bones and I have a hard time getting warm no matter how high the temperature is set inside.  It also gives me a stomach ache.  My first year in college the thermostat for our room was right next to my desk and I would slowly turn it up until it was 80 degrees in our room.  If my roommate was there she didn't notice usually, but if she walked in the door at 80 she noticed and made me turn it back down. 

But snow has always been beautiful to me, as well.  I love the imagery of God cleansing us to be white as snow and when the sun hits it and it sparkles it reminds me of what heaven will be like--sparkly, clean, holy, flawless.  I love the way it sits on branches and shows God's artistry in all the different ways trees grow.  I love the way it ascents colors.  I love it's beauty--from the inside watching out.

But I couldn't get good pictures from inside, so when the boys were playing outside I took some time to walk around the yard with my camera too.

This picture made me stop and think about the incredibly vast aray of trees God made--these are just a few and yet they all grow differently and the snow really brings that out.

And then the wind started...it got colder and I started dreaming a dream...

I dreamed a dream of being warm again. 

Thankfully, so thankfully, we did not lose power like so many have, especially to the south. My heart went out to them this morning when I read the power company says it may be four or more days before they get the power back on again.

Blessings on your weekend.  May you have eyes wide open to see God's beauty and may his warmth fill your hearts today.