Can sorrow and joy walk hand-in-hand? Can you hold both sadness and happiness together?
Black is often associated with sorrow or mourning. I don’t naturally think of mourning when I think of a gift. It’s quite the opposite usually. I was first introduced to the phrase “a gift wrapped in black” when reading an autobiography by Joni Eareckson Tada. It struck me as rather odd, so I continued reading to find out what she meant.
“With complete certainty, we can say that our marriage and our family would not be here if it weren’t for the gospel. Learning the story of the Cross and the Empty Tomb through the lens of the Old Testament stories helped us understand the Gospel. It had the power to change our lives and save our marriage, and it did!”
As promised last week, I’d like to explain the framework of this ministry to give you a better understanding of who we are, what we do, and where we’re going in order for you to get the most out of this.
Have you carried the baggage of shame around from past hurts either by sins you’ve committed or by what others have done to you? Do you feel healing and freedom is gifted to others but you don’t deserve it for yourself? How do you think Adam and Eve felt; the first taste of shame in the world upon them as they severed humanity’s relationship with God? Can you imagine the anguish they would have felt after learning of their son Cain’s sin of murdering their other beloved son, Abel? The consequences of their sin and now their son’s sin would drastically pain them! In God’s amazing grace, He didn’t leave Adam and Eve without hope, and He doesn’t leave you without it either!
Two visions came together as I stared at the business card in my hand. One was for a blog with the main purpose to encourage people going through a variety of trials not often talked about, to help point them to sustaining hope in Christ. The other vision was “planted” long beforehand.
The Lord graciously warned Cain that the enemy was tempting him to commit sin, like his parents had. But he didn’t have to give in. The Lord had provided a way of escape. Do you feel like temptation wants to overtake you? Are you craving something you know isn’t part of God’s good order? Hold on, there’s hope for you!
Six months of preparation. Countless team meetings, multiple fundraising events, hours of prayer and studying the word together. A large amount of time and effort was spent just making sure everything was in order to travel as a team of 29, many being minors or first time travelers.
Coordinating travel plans, itineraries, how and where to serve the people of Guatemala. Preparing my family, a husband on shift work and two children, mentally, emotionally, practically and spiritually – how would they cope with me being gone; not just away from home but, at times, unable to be reached? Was God going to be as present back home as I suspected He would be on this trip? Was this six months of preparation really going to be worth exchanging for nine days in Guatemala?
What is your instant reaction when you read Genesis 3?
What aspect of God stands out to you most in this chapter? Ex. Creator, All-Sovereign, wrathful, Judge? Is it possible to experience yet another perspective in this well-known Bible story; one of God’s love?
A shift is happening here and we’re excited to share with you what’s coming! Hear what God’s been up to and get a snapshot of the changes about to take place in today’s post!
Do you want to know God more? Do you want to discern what His voice sounds like? How you can have a more effective prayer life? These have also been my desire. I want to always listen and know when God speaks to me, and be quicker to obedience as a result. It would be amazing to study through the Scriptures how to strategize and tactfully execute the things the Lord calls us to through prayer, and know how to best apply them.
Though that was my original intent in beginning my Bible reading through Genesis again, the Lord revealed to me an even deeper desire in my spirit as His Spirit illuminated another theme in this context…