There are days when I sit at my computer screen and hit my head repeatedly against the keyboard because nothing worth saying comes to my mind to write down.
And then there are days when it is as if the whisper of God comes close to my heart, beckoning me to share His words with the world. I pray, "Father, may I be your pen," and I write. Tonight I felt His whisper to share these words with the hurting, wounded heart tonight. Which basically includes all of us, doesn't it? For who hasn't been stung by a rejection or broken by a disappointment or shattered by suffering? We have all experienced pain in our own way and the pain of one does not lessen or overshadow the pain of another. We all are hurting in some way and so maybe these words were meant for all of us tonight. And if you don't know much about God or you don't want to hear much about God right now because you think He isn't involved in your life, don't stop reading. This isn't meant to encourage you by telling you all the ways that God is going to fix your life and make it perfect or how He is going to make everything better and give you everything you ever wanted. This post isn't meant to tell you that because it's not true. Being a Christ follower doesn't mean a perfect life and it certainly doesn't mean an easy one. Being a Christ follower doesn't mean never having pain or suffering. In fact, being a Christ follower will probably bring suffering, because if the world hated Him it will surely hate us as well (John 15:18). Being a Christ follower doesn't mean that you get everything you ever wanted and all your dreams come true. What being a Christ follower means is that even in the midst of tragedy and extreme pain, we know Who is holding us in the middle of it all. We know the One in control and the One who loves us. The One who ultimately knows what is best for us, even if it wasn't what we originally wanted. John 11:35 is one of my favorite verses in the Bible. "Jesus wept." Literally only two words, but those two words hold so much meaning. In the middle of their brother's sickness, Mary and Martha send a desperate plea to Jesus to come quickly and heal their brother. But He didn't go. And Lazarus dies. When Jesus finally shows up at their house, Martha says to Him in John 11:21, "Lord, if You had been here my brother would not have died." And I hear it in her voice. The pain, the questions, the searching. Where were You, Lord? And I wonder it too. Why? Why didn't He go? And as the story goes we know why He didn't come right away. We know why He waited. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead in an incredible miracle that gained trust and faith from many watching. It strengthened Mary and Martha's faith and trust too. And at the end, I'm sure Mary and Martha wouldn't have had it any other way because they saw the story God was writing at the end. But in the middle of the story they felt differently. That is why they were weeping and the sisters came to Jesus. Lord, if You had been here my brother would not have died. And what does Jesus do? Does He fix everything right away to make it all better and perfect? Does He tell them everything is going to be okay and that He has a miracle on the way? No. He weeps with them. The Bible doesn't say why Jesus wept in that moment. But I think it was for Martha. I think it was for Mary. I think it was for Lazarus and the Jews and everyone else who was hurting because they didn't see the whole beautiful picture at the end like He did. And in that moment, Jesus met them in their pain and He wept with them. I don't know what pain you are going through at this moment in your life. I don't know what you're facing. I don't know what heartaches you hold in your heart that keep you trapped in a prison of suffering. I don't know what rejections you have faced in the last year or the last month or the last week. I can't even promise you that it'll all be okay. I can't promise you that things will look beautiful tomorrow. Sometimes we don't know the "why" until we get to Heaven and rest in the arms of Jesus. But I do know that you are loved. You are alive for a reason tonight. There is breath in your lungs tonight because God has a task for you to accomplish that only you can do, someone only you can reach, and it hasn't been done yet. You are wonderfully made and you are perfectly you. You are a masterpiece of the Creator of the universe. You are wanted by a Prince who gave His very life to rescue you from death and suffering and a life apart from Him forever. You are chosen. And you are not alone. Jesus is holding you in His arms this very moment and weeping with you. He knows your pain and it hurts Him too because He loves you more than your mind could ever fathom. Even when you don't feel it and even when you don't see it, trust that He is holding you. And He catches every tear that falls. "The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: 'Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.'" ~Jeremiah 31:3
Bella Morganthal
8/29/2016 09:31:14 pm
Thanks Beth! :)
Bella Morganthal
9/3/2016 11:50:32 pm
Thanks Maria :) Hope you're doing well! <3
Olivia Bell
9/3/2016 07:26:45 pm
This was such a wonderful article, Bella! You always are always an encouragement and inspiration to me! :D
Bella Morganthal
9/3/2016 11:50:57 pm
Thanks, Livy! That means so much! :)
Bella Morganthal
10/26/2016 12:56:34 pm
Thank you so much for coming by my blog and leaving a comment, Rachael! <3 I'm so glad you enjoyed the article. :) Yes, He is so good! Will be praying for you! <3 Comments are closed.
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