The destruction of Notre Dame reminds me, that nothing derived of man will remain forever. Our legacy lives on in the lives we touch, the impact we make for the gospel of Christ.
Even a magnificent structure that has stood the test of time is not invincible. What pricks my heart in this photo of the remains is the cross that stands amid the rubble.
Cancer..
“We found a mass on your kidney” the ER doctor said to my husband as I sat near his bed. You could tell he was as surprised as we were. A CAT for an unrelated mystery pain, found a mass by ‘accident”. Over the next days we were told it was likely cancer.
There are some things in life that intersect your world in a life-changing way… and this diagnosis is one of them. Serious illness brings with it a clarifying power unlike any kind of deep introspective work I’ve ever done. In a few moments you see, as through a looking glass, what is truly important.
A strive to achieve becomes a drive to survive. Goals change from what you want to do, to who you want to be. Time with those you love takes on a whole new priority. Some turn away from a God they hold responsible, others turn to Him with a renewed passion.
I’d be in that latter group. My relationship with God was brought into focus. I had become withdrawn from the Lord. Like the great cathedral of Paris, that had become vulnerable due to neglect, my faith had become weak. I was going through the motions of spirituality, and I wasn’t even doing that very well.
Thinking i had to become more marketable, I distanced myself from my beliefs in creating this platform. I excused it as, not polarising my audience. Dancing on a line of being spiritually inspirational but vague. Deep down I knew I was on the wrong path.
Refined by Fire..
God allowed me to continue in my plans for nearly a year before this intervention. Scripture teaches that He uses difficulties to reach us where we are and move us to where he desire us to be. Peter, who had his own experience denying Christ, says:
“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith, of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire, may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”
1 Peter 1:6-7
Do you know what a smelter is? My husband is a gold miner, so the process of producing precious metal is something common to his work. Most gold mined today can’t be seen with the naked eye, it is microscopic and mixed with impurities. The ore goes to a smelter for the refining process, a large furnace so hot it burns away everything but the gold.
The word cancer an alarm clock, as if my faith had gone to sleep and the words of Karl’s diagnosis from the doctors lips awoke it.
In the coming weeks, God would use Scripture, experience, relationship, prayer, and direction of the Holy Spirit to encourage and build my personal faith to refine me personally and redefine my message.
The Message..
This quote, that keeps showing up “Go and bear fruit, fruit that will last” appeared again today. As I look at the remains of Notre Dame, I understand that the only fruit that lasts is the message of the cross that shares love, acceptance, forgiveness, restoration, peace that passes all understanding and ultimately eternal life. I am an imperfect vessel, but my hearts desire is to pour forth that message of hope . I pray that what began six years ago with a post entitled “Beauty for Ashes” will culminate, in The Created Life Collective, to reflect the brilliance of God into every dark corner of your experience.
After Israel’s captivity and destruction Isiah declared; “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— …to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.”
Isaiah 61:1-3
Come Home..
Are you in the middle of a trial… how’s it going? Have you been trying to overcome or ignore it? Are you being swallowed by difficulty? Maybe you are feeling frustrated, angry, sad? A wise coach in my life says of trial.. “sit down with it, have a cup of tea with it and ask it what it’s here to teach you?” I would add, be open to it, allow it to deepen you, your faith and your message.
If you find yourself, distanced from your faith, know that God will continue to pursue you. He wants you to come back into a relationship with him.
Our border collie, Luna, found herself outside the electric containment fence today. She always comes when I call, but she was nowhere to be found. I called, clapped, called louder and began to search. I was very intent on finding her. As I rounded the corner of the house I saw her in the neighbor’s yard. She spotted me, got low to the ground, and tried to hide, afraid she was in trouble. I Love Luna, and was glad to see she was ok. I could have drug her back across the fence, allowing her to get shocked again to teach her a lesson. She’d experienced the pain of being outside the fence and I wanted her to know the comfort of being protected in our care. I removed the collar and brought her home.
If that’s you, outside the fence, please know your master is searching for you. He wants you back, not to punish you for having left. He desires to celebrate that you are home.