Time goes by so fast in each of our lives. One minute we're stressing over the planning of our "Big Day" only for it to flash by in a blink... and only photographs to remind us. The next minute we're figuring out careers, raising kids, doing our job to adult and provide for ourselves or our families however that meets you where you are at. For some of us a day comes where our entire world implodes...and only photographs remain to remind us of what once was.
There's only a few things I can think of that cause the kind of implosion I'm meaning...Tragedy, Death, Divorce, Accidents, Abuse, Neglect.
Then comes the day where planning how to live now happens. Discovering a new kind of place between you and God to live and find safety from the loud talking, the whispers, judgmental eyes from those well meaning who have absolutely no idea what fires you have just walked through. But God promises to deliver! To resurrect BEAUTY from these ASHES! Just like the Phoenix bird, something beautiful flying up from the ashes. Only God can make sense of the confusing nonsense and even then sometimes I'm not sure we always get the answers we're hoping for. "There are just some things in life you won't understand" and "Never waste time trying to understand selfish people because you'll kill yourself trying and you can't" said my mom all too many times. Who knew that her words were preparing me for life? (haha)

It never ceases to amaze me how we as Christians treat one another. We find our comfortable clique and help and do for each other but we forget there is an entire church waiting in need of our gifts. What is truly amazing is how we beat up the broken and worn and kick them when they are down. The weapon of choice we so often use is....wait for it...OUR WORDS.

At times I'd like to find a different way to tell people that I love God rather than throwing myself into the basket of "I'm a Christian" which all too many times I've watched as immediately the person on the other side is cringing and can't wait to leave this conversation ha! We do that don't we? We act like we're set above and somehow so much better or different rather than sharing LOVE. Love in its entirety....the action part, the verb.

The past five years have wiped me out, tried to take me out, knocked me down, drowned me and left me cold and alone to figure it out. There is no book on how to walk step by step through this. There are great guidelines and phenomenal authors who have written incredible suggestions but no one person goes through this life exactly the same. Grief is a crazy thing that calls us to dance with it when the implosions happen. There are some things you just shouldn't fight. To name a few....your mother's words, your father's instruction, your best friends suggestion, your children's attention, and God's leading.

So be help to those you see because what you don't see is that each and every one is fighting some kind of battle.
Stand up from the rubble and raise up your hands exchange those ashes for something beautiful and remember that the beautiful mess is well worth the gift coming.

Isaiah 61:3

-Sarah Renee'