When the Waves of Disappointment Come Crashing on Your Shore

    Have you ever felt the searing pain of loss?  Have you sat shell-shocked when something or someone has been taken from you out of no where?  Or are you waiting on a desire of your heart to be fulfilled but the waiting feels eternal?


    We have all been there.  In our minds, believing we are headed down one road, even a road of promise, when suddenly the road takes an unexpected hair-pin turn.  We are left breathless and numb, dumb-founded by what has occurred.  Or we are waiting on a promise and starting to think it will never happen.  Its been too many years.  Everyone has forgotten.  Sometimes it even feels like God has forgotten . . . if that is possible.


    I have been there too.  I have been on both sides of that coin.  Either, waiting for what seems like a life-time for what God has promised. I have watched others attain the same thing I was promised and have had to continue in my lonely trust-walk.  And, I have been riding on the road towards a promise, almost able to grasp it, nearly in the palm of my hand and then WAM, out of nowhere, everything falls apart and I am left standing, wondering what happened.  The story line of loss and disappointment is real.  It can crush you.  But thankfully, we know The One who re-writes stories and won't let it destroy us.

                                       His blood speaks a better word.
 
       He writes a better story, a new one.  One that has an outcome far better than we imagined.

I think of the disciples like Peter, and Mary Magdalene.  I think of her and her companions.

   There they were sinking, flooded with their grief and disappointment, standing shell-shocked at all that had occurred.  Sure, some had finally acknowledged He was indeed who He said He was-The Son of God.  But they were so sure He was gone, these faithful women were on their way to anoint His body for burial.

          And God meets them here, in shadows of their overwhelming grief and despair:

"And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.  While they were perplexed about this, behold two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; and as they women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, 'Why do you seek the LIVING ONE among the dead?  He is not here, but He has risen."  Luke 24:2-6


      They were in shock, again!  The story wasn't over at the grave.  It took another, even better twist.

     He re-wrote the story.  But it turned out FAR different than maybe they originally thought.  They maybe never imagined this.  He became redemption for them, for us, for the whole world.  The effects of this story were even more far-reaching than they could conceive!     He has the power to bring "abundant redemption" as the Psalmist knew in Psalm 130:7.  Right in the midst of heartbreak or lonely waiting, he can offer us redemption.

                  "Oh Israel, hope in the Lord; 
                    For with the Lord there is lovingkindness, 
                    And with Him is abundant redemption."

     But sometimes we can stop short with the heartbreak, or get comfortable in the waiting.  We can easily think that someone else's story is more important than the one God is writing with us in mind.  Envy can creep in.  Time can steal our faith.  We can start to believe that God hears others but He doesn't hear us.

      We have to battle against our apathy and wage war against the thoughts that tell us we have been forgotten.  The truth is we are very much on His mind.  The truth is He collects all our tears in a bottle.  He hears every cry, every sigh.  And, ultimately the truth is He is still writing our story, HIS Story.  For His glory.  It may not come in the time or the way we would think, but He is faithful to keep His promise.  He will have His way.  So don't give up.  Keep looking for the Living One.  He will surely come.  We can stand on this -He will surely bring "abundant redemption".

   

     
 


                               

The Fragrance of My Father

         

               It seems all the great lessons God teaches me these days come from interactions with my children.  For the last few days, as I have given my little guy Daniel hugs and cuddles, I have smelled a certain fragrance.  At first I thought it was the soap we were using on his hair, but I realized it doesn't smell like coconuts at all (our current "flavor").   It smelled very familiar.  And then it hit me.  It was his Dad's smell that has transferred to his son.


    You see lately Daniel has been quite the "Daddy's Boy".  He just HAS to be with Daddy.  At church, in the house, at night as he goes to sleep.  He just has to have him.  Nothing else will do.  Yesterday Dad wanted to get some alone time and outfitted himself for a bike ride.  It would just be 20 minutes or so to get a break.  He put on his helmet and got his bike ready.  Daniel was right behind trying to get his helmet on just like Daddy.  But when he found out he couldn't go because Dad would be on streets that were unsafe, he began to ball.  Streams of tears poured down cheeks and his chubby bottom lip popped out.  It was a touching moment.  Son longed to be with Father.  Nothing else would distract him or fill the void.


    And this morning when I finally realized what this familiar scent flowing from my son's soft hair and skin was, it hit me.  When we want to be with the Father and nothing else will satisfy, we spend time with Him.  When we spend time in Him, we start to smell like Him.  When we get a glimpse of goodness and His tenacious love for us, His fragrance exudes from our life.  And sometimes we may still feel dry, or feel weak in our commitment, but even then His sweet aroma is still present, still reminding us and those around us WHO we belong to.

    When we worship Him through a hard season, pour out our true heart to Him, spend time consuming and pondering His Word, His fragrance is released like incense.  When we put Him first, or tell someone about His love or encounter Him in the place of worship, He is anointing us with a contagious and unstoppable aroma.  When we let Him heal our wounds, erase lies we have believed that have hindered us and just want to be near Him, He fills our life with a penetrating and healing scent that can literally change the atmosphere of a room.  

    So maybe The Gospel is more simple than we thought. Its more about falling in love with a Person than satisfying a long list of "do's and don'ts". When we spend time with our Father and receive His prevailing, unending, unfailing and tender love He marks us with His fragrance, as it says in 2 Corinthians 2:14-15:

    "But thanks be to God, who always puts us on display in Christ, and spreads through us in every place the scent of knowing Him.  For to God we are the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing."