The concept and name of a blog came to me long before I had any idea what it meant to be a “blogger”, or how to go about setting one up. After I begged my much more tech-savvy twenty-something daughter to give me a brief tutorial, I thought I was on my way.
More than 6 months later, all that exists is the name, and this one word that has been ruminating around in my mind for the last 27 years, desperately trying to find its way to paper. Or at least to the page, 2015 style.
Redemption. Delivered from a life of pride and arrogance, of self-sufficiency and disrespect, to a state of total dependence.
Redemption. Rescued from the pit of addiction, dishonesty, shame, widowhood, bankruptcy. Truly taken from “ashes to beauty”.
“To all who mourn…He will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for His own glory.” (Isaiah 61:3, NLT)
Several years ago, my husband and I were part of a church in Colorado where we served as small group “facilitators”, hosting couples in our home for Bible study and fellowship. To prepare us for this role, we went through a class with other potential leaders. At the end of the training, the teachers performed a foot-washing. Having gotten to know each of us throughout the class, they prepared a verse to share as they washed our feet which was pertinent to our individual testimonies. This verse from Isaiah was the one given to me by that dear woman who taught me how important it was to be intentional in relationships.
I don’t intend this to be a place of complaining about circumstances, a place of “woe is me! Look what I’ve been through!” but rather a place of encouragement, a place of look what I’ve gotten through! I don’t share struggles or challenges as a way of comparison or “one-upmanship”; I have learned through the last two and half decades that often we go through difficulties for no other apparent reason than to offer comfort to others. It is my hope that my words will, in fact, serve as an “oak”-a place of safety and shade for those who may be questioning their purpose or wondering about the reason for certain situations in their life; a place of redemption stories, where joy and blessing become the focus rather than despair.
If I speak of difficult things or of subject matter that may be uncomfortable, it is only to shine a light on the Redeemer who has taken me from mourning to rejoicing, from despair to praise, from ashes to beauty. Be encouraged!
“I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself.” (Col. 2:2)