Over the past few weeks, which have been pretty awful with ill-health, - I have been reflecting alot. In doing so I have been drawn to the words of Matt and Beth Redman's song Blessed be your name. Profound words which echo the cry of many a heart. Where is God in it all or through it all? There are so many dichotomy's in life and for me this song personifies it.
Blessed be God in the sunset and the snow
Blessed be God in the nose bleeds and headaches
Blessed be God in the chicken dinners and chinese meals provided by others
Blessed be God in the words of tenderness and compassion
Blessed be God in the words of retaliation and anger
Blessed be God in the aunt and the uncle - one departed and the other nearing a new chapter
Blessed be God in the cards and flowers
Blessed be God in the tears and smiles
Blessed be God in the family and friends
Blessed be God in the known and unknown
Blessed be God forever and ever
Blessed be God in the wilderness for we humans only inhabit that place for a short time.
Blessed be God in being able to say sorry
ReplyDeleteBlessed be God in avoiding gossip
Blessed be God that people care
Blessed be God for justice
Blessed be God for including not dividing
Blessed be God for real kindness
Blessed be God for humility
Blessed be God for selflessness
Blessed be God for honesty
Blessed be God for family who are much nicer than we paint
Blessed be God for space from people who control and manipulate
Blessed be God for the men who dont get a word in edgeways
The list is endless
So very true Jackie - the last sentence is very important, we are not in the wilderness for long! Take care. Jayne x
ReplyDeleteDepends who one lives with I guess....wilderness can be years and years for some people....
ReplyDeletedepends if you have been loved and cared for..
Some people have everything and have loving families and still keep themselves in the wilderness for attention...
Blessed be those who want to be worshipped and be a hero to everyone..
Blessed be those who use their small gifts to reach more people...
Blessed be those who think less of themselves and dont publicise everything they do and everyone they help and every meeting they attend.....
Blessed be the people who put up with them ...Amen
Yet the very nature of the wilderness is that as humans we do not inhabit it because then it is no longer a wildernes. If that makes sense. It still feels bleak though
ReplyDeleteBlessed be God in stillness and silence
Blessed be God when friends desert you
Blessed be God in clouds and rainbows
Blessed be God in decaffinated coffee!!!!!!
Blessed be God in confusion and cruelty
Blessed be God in chocolate and cake.
Blessed be God in forgiveness and grace.
Blessed be God forever. Amen
Im not really sure what you mean.
ReplyDeletePeople put themselves and force others to be in the wilderness.
Blessed be God when brokenhearted
Blessed be God when misunderstood
Blessed be God when powerless
Blessed be God when silence is crippling
Blessed be God .........
I think what I mean is that a wilderness is a barren place where little is built because of the geographical and nature restrictions - otherwise it may become a town etc if humans inhabit it. With the Exodus the slaves did not settle in the wilderness but came to their promised land. There is always a promised land it just takes long to get there sometimes. God has promised us so much but as we all know it hurts sometimes.
ReplyDeleteoops forgot to add
ReplyDeleteBlessed be God in the new shoots of nature
Blessed be God in the death of the old roots
Blessed be God in amazing gifted people around us
Blessed be God in compassion and tenderness
Blessed be God in challenging injustice..
Blessed be God..... Amen
Ah I was talking symbolically as in domestic violence..abuse or bullying...I know what you mean now thanks.
ReplyDeleteBlessed be God when the way forward is not clear..
Blessed be God when you can't apologise because you have been told not to contact the person you have upset..
Blessed be God when you feel that you are a pain to everyone because your pain has been too much and overspilled..
Blessed be God for always reacting in love
Anonymous - yes, life can be truly appalling sometimes. So I try to keep these words near the forefront of my consciousness.
ReplyDelete"Whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."
I have been in some pretty dreadful wildernesses myself throughout my life and have always found that if I look for the good in others (the God in others?) then there is something redeemable in most situations.
The knack is to focus on the good. Yes - very hard, sometimes, but do-able with God's grace and the Holy Spirit's help.
Thank you that is really helpful.
ReplyDeleteI make terrible mistakes but its usually myself that I hate not others..I can see God and the good in others ..but not in myself.
God Bless you for answering me
There is good and bad in all of us - we are all a complex mix - every last one of us. But the good stuff is what comes from God. The knack for me is to consider myself to be a garden. I work at cultivating the good plants and try to keep on top of the weeding! And I remember that God walks in my garden and admires my lovely plants - and doesn't comment on the weedy bits.
ReplyDeleteHelpful image thanks!!
ReplyDelete