The Bright Life by Jen Wise

Author:Jen Wise
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Zondervan
Published: 2018-11-26T16:00:00+00:00

Day 21

Two Pockets

It was one of those days. Okay, it was more than a day—let’s say a series of days. I was still grateful, deep down, for answers to Jon’s health woes. Grateful, deep down, for a way forward. But at times it felt really deep down and covered over by frustration, exhaustion, and the reality of how unfair this still felt. I’d dip into depression, and I’d come up for air. I’d dip again.

But then there would be a string of funny texts from a friend, a lovely dinner party, a chat on the sidewalk with a neighbor. Or a coffee meet-up where we both laughed and cried, a night out on the town, a brunch that lingered past noon. It was through these things that God gave me relief. It was through these people, these sweet friends, these little walking lightbearers, that my soul was lightened, my head lifted, and my heart made full.

Because love is healing, and love puts things right. Love restores us. Love makes us whole.

And this is the good news of the gospel: the power of perfect love.

“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again” (John 3:16–17 MSG).

Because of Christ’s love, we are offered new life. Because of his love, we are made healed and whole. Because of his love, we are promised that our world will be made right again.

It’s for this reason that we have hope even in the midst of struggles, broken relationships, and pain. This is no pie-in-thesky, self-medicating religion. This is faith that fully sees and mourns the brokenness of this world, all the while brimming with hope for our promised future of restoration. And guess what? This promise is already working itself out, here and now.

Right now the world rages and wars, and right now God is moving through families and friendships, healing hearts and restoring communities. Right now the sick ache in their beds, and right now God’s comfort swells and surrounds. Right now creation bends and breaks, and right now God receives praises from the grasses and the seas.

We are a people who live in the tension between the bad and the good, today’s sorrow and a future hope. We don’t need to be naïve to the pain and suffering around us, but neither do we need to drown in a sea of despair. When we understand God’s unfolding plan, our hearts can be a place where both sorrow and joy live in harmony. I love how the mystic Parker Palmer describes this dynamic: “We need a coat with two pockets. In one pocket there is dust, and in the other pocket there is gold.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.