Gentle Reader,
I went to a new doctor yesterday. Yearly check-up that we ladies are always so thrilled to have. As she pulled up my medical history, her face went through a serious of contortions, landing on an expression of surprise. “Wow,” she said. “You’re so young. How have you had so many things go wrong?”
Had to laugh.
Big ball of weirdness, am I.
Linking up with Kate and the people. We write about: blessing.
Go.
Theological statements show up in strange places.
I’m not really a fan of Macklemore – the famous son of Kent, Washington – but I did listen to his new song, “Glorious,” the chorus of which is:
I feel glorious, glorious
Got a chance to start again
I was born for this, born for this
It’s who I am, how could I forget?
I made it through the darkest part of the night
And now I see the sunrise
Now I feel glorious, glorious
I feel glorious, glorious
Those words, they take me to church.
The days drag on. We have to live in these broken bodies, on this broken planet. We have to deal with broken relationships, broken dreams, broken systems. There are desires left unfulfilled, plans left unfinished. We dwell in the space between Genesis 3 and Revelation 21.
So it’s easy to forget.
Forget who we are.
Forget Who is with us.
Forget our purpose.
Caught up in the grind, we look in the mirror and forget to look for what cannot be seen by the human eye. Forget to ask for the holy perspective. We see creases and lines, worries and sorrows. Words left unsaid and conflict unresolved. Weak and fragile bodies.
We forget,
But if God Himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of Him. Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won’t know what we’re talking about. But for you who welcome Him, in whom He dwells—even though you still experience all the limitations of sin—you yourself experience life on God’s terms. It stands to reason, doesn’t it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, He’ll do the same thing in you that He did in Jesus, bringing you alive to Himself? When God lives and breathes in you (and He does, as surely as He did in Jesus), you are delivered from that dead life. With His Spirit living in you, your body will be as alive as Christ’s!
So don’t you see that we don’t owe this old do-it-yourself life one red cent. There’s nothing in it for us, nothing at all. The best thing to do is give it a decent burial and get on with your new life. God’s Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go!
This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who He is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what’s coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with Him, then we’re certainly going to go through the good times with Him!
– Romans 8:9-17 (MSG)
We are blessed to be children of the Living God, bought with His own blood. Blessed with fresh mercies, brand-new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23).
We forget.
We must learn to remember.
Because when we remember, we regain the ability to press through the trouble, which does not magically disappear. Following Christ is no guarantee of health, wealth or any other human-defined blessing.
It is a guarantee of purpose. Of clarity.
Of knowing, in your bones, who you are and where you’re going.
Stop.
“Following Christ is no guarantee of health, wealth or any other human-defined blessing.
It is a guarantee of purpose. Of clarity.
Of knowing, in your bones, who you are and where you’re going.”
THIS. I love this.
Actually, I love every word. Studying Romans this summer and we just got into Romans 7&8– the Message version has rocked my world in terms of how clear it is.
Also, I /am/ a Macklemore fan, but have yet to hear this one– gonna have to go listen.
Grateful for you and your words as always, friend. ❤
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I’m surprised that I like this song as much as I do. As near-to-the-West Coast-ers, Chris and I are of course obligated to enjoy “Downtown,” since it’s all about Seattle and was shot in a city not too far from us, but I’ve basically been “meh” about the rest of his music. This one, though – there’s just something about it!
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Marie,
I was hungry and you fed me. I was thirsty and you have given me drink.
Seriously, all that scripture? Wonderful!!
And, we’re chewing on some of the same steak lately. Who we are in Christ.
Your post is a BLESSING to me. 🙂
Love,
Tammy
(I may not link up. We’re traveling for the holiday weekend and I haven’t packed my suitcase yet.)
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I’m so glad you came away refreshed, Tammy!
“Identity” is something I come back to time and time again, especially now, when I’ve been stripped of many of the outside markers that I could point to as defining me. I sense the Holy Spirit calling me to sit in the quiet with Him and learn about who I really am.
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Amen! And I have to tell you a funny story about Macklemore. My sister-in-law does not speak English as her native language. There is a 20-year age difference between her and my brother-in-law. They were driving around San Francisco (they leave nearby) looking for something to do and she said to my brother-in-law, “There’s a Michael Moore concert.” My b-i-l said, “Oh, I like Michael Moore! Buy tickets.” And so she did. Imagine his surprise when they sat down for a Macklemore concert and not a presentation by Michael Moore…
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That’s hysterical! I love it!
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We must be reminded of who we are–a beloved child of God. I’m in the 11 spot this week!
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Indeed, He must remind us constantly – and we must listen. Thankfully, He is patient and kind!
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Marie, this is jut lovely. That following Christ is a guarantee of purpose and clarity…YES!
So sorry about that insensitive doctor. I think medical schools are turning out people who should never be allowed near a patient. My illness stemmed from gall bladder surgery, and when I went back to the surgeon to tell him that I was having abnormal pain, he brushed me off, then said, “Well, wait here.”
I waited for three hours, until the office closed. And then I learned that he had gone golfing.
#1 at FMF this week.
http://blessed-are-the-pure-of-heart.blogspot.com/2017/06/your-dying-spouse-330-this-is-how-you.html
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I cannot believe that happened to you. Wow. I don’t even have words.
This doctor wasn’t insensitive. I didn’t take that way, at least. I think she was just surprised to see the long list of weird stuff and all the scars on my body. The various ailments I live with are usually ones that strike people when they’re much older. I like to tell my husband that I’m really an 80-year-old.
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Marie, you took this word in a wonderful direction.You’re so right. When we remember and cling to the reality that we are GOD’S children, we can accept his mercies, and we can live with a clarity and confidence to live out the purpose He designed us for.
Fabulous, my friend.
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I was surprised myself at where this went. When we see the word “blessing,” we tend to jump to what God can give us or what we’re supposed to be giving to others. We don’t often pause and think about what a blessing it is to simply belong to Him.
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Following Christ is a guarantee of purpose. Love that. I’m going to hold that today. Sending love to where you are. I’m #13 at #FMF this week. Have a blessed weekend!
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Holding on to that with you, Carolina!
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This is a great post. So true that following Jesus doesn’t mean we avoid troubles and suffering but even in the midst of that we are blessed to know who we are in him and all that he promises for our eternal future.
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There’s a tension that we have to accept, knowing that we are Revelation 21 people trapped in a Genesis 3 world. I think that focusing on Christ and who we are in Him is the only way to handle the dichotomy.
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Hi Marie! Just popped over from Five Minute Friday. Lovely post-thanks for your words!
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Thanks, Gina!
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This is lovely! I’m sure Macklemore would be thrilled too 😉 .
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Haha! Maybe he would. Thanks for stopping by!
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Marie, you have been through a lot and you know who you are because of it. That is the gift of suffering. You can teach me so so much. Thank you for that scripture. It took me to church;)
😍😍
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Marie this is all so encouraging and I agree the words of that song felt like church. This post was awesome !
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Marie, Thank you for this!Oh how easy it is to get caught up in the earthly perspective and “Forget to ask for the holy perspective.” Ann Voskamp calls it chronic soul amnesia when we forget the blatant evidence of God’s faithfulness. I love the Message version of that passage. It breathes fresh life into the ancient Word. I will take this post with me in my moments this week.
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I love this… “Caught up in the grind, we look in the mirror and forget to look for what cannot be seen by the human eye.” I’m sorry you have endured so much at such a young age. And yet you would not be you with the amazing perspective you have (at such a young age) without the fullness of your experiences. Thank you for sharing this way on the Journey with Jesus – trials and blessings – ALL. I bless you with a feast of JOY! Lisa
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Your doctor is suffering from a serious lack of good bedside manner.
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I really wasn’t offended. It would be surprising for a new doctor to go through the long list if what ails me. Plus I dint think she’s been practicing very long. She’ll learn.
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You are very forgiving. Some time back, a new assistant at my ophthalmologist’s office made a rather rude crack about my optic nerves being in poor shape. The reality of that lives with me every day. At least my doctor isn’t quite so crass.
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Thanks for your post, Marie. It led me into prayer, “Living God give me Your holy perspective. Help me remember I am blessed to be one of Your children, bought with Your own blood. Blessed with fresh mercies, brand-new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22-23).
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