Why do the flowers come up in the spring? 

The ice isn’t finished, and the days are too short. The sun hides in the shadows of an early bedtime, and the frost graces the hill in the morning. And now, here they are, wildflowers pummelled by the rain. Such delicate beauty, thrashed by the storms. Is it weird to look at my window and feel sympathy for daffodils? Because I do. I can’t help myself. 

They thought it was safe to stretch up towards the sky. They opened themselves to the world around and were met by the harshness of winter’s remains…

I have come to know that God has a very soft spot in his heart for those most weak in his kingdom. Like a shepherd who tucks his wee lamb into his arms, our Lord scoops up the downtrodden and wraps them close and tight in the shadow of his wings (Is 40, Ps 91). 

I’ve never felt more weak, wounded and cast down than I have walking through an unwanted divorce. When Isaiah speaks of a “bruised reed” and a “smoldering wick”, I have rarely felt so seen and known. These descriptions make sense to me because they have been my reality. Maybe your’s too? 

Have you ever been so weak in your new life, you feel like a wisp of air could swamp you forever? 

Some days are harder than others. There are times I wake up feeling so forgotten by God. Maybe I should rephrase that. I don’t feel like he’s forgotten ME–I know he loves me. But sometimes I feel like he has forgotten the wrongs done against me, or worse—maybe he’s even turned a blind eye to them? I live with deep wounds from the abandonment, betrayal, and rejection from my ex-husband.I still live with daily consequences of a shattered marriage. 

And some days it feels terribly unfair that all these wrongs haven’t been called to account. 

The perfect justice of God is a deep well of comfort to me. That statement might sound crazy, but this truth about God has profoundly changed me. The Lord, our righteous Judge, has given me rest—of the “lay down your burden” variety. Rest that moves me to cease striving, to be still, and to KNOW the Lord is Almighty God. 

Unfulfilled desires. We all have them. Your’s might look different than mine, but I have no doubt you share a similar heartsickness over the no’s you’ve received. Living in this world means living with desires that might be delayed or even left unmet. We were not made for this place. God has set eternity in our hearts and this world will just never live up (Ecclesiastes 3:11). 

So what do we do with these longings that ache within us? Where do we place the desires that will not let go of our hearts? 

It’s a question I’ve really struggled with…

Dear Church, remind abandoned women that her Shepherd is her Eternal Dwelling Place.

Home has been restored.

He offers welcome. He will never walk away or shut out. He offers a place at His table forevermore. 

What a beautiful, redemptive, sacred work the Church has before her. Let’s press on today…

There is something uniquely sweet about the valley. You are hemmed in–below, above, and on each side by the presence of Jesus. He is gentle with valley travelers…

I don’t have a husband. But I have Jesus, my Shepherd. 
Is He really enough?
Do I have all that I need?

The abandoned wife in your community has experienced the trust-destroying damage of unkept promises. The ground beneath her feet feels shaky as she questions who to trust. The most life-giving gift to give her is the full counsel of Scripture. 

The grass withers, the flowers fade,
but the word of our God remains forever.
(Isaiah 40:8)

Her marriage withered, her vows faded, but the word of her God remains forever. It is vitally important for you to remind her that the Word of God is unchanging & trustworthy. 

God is not a man that he may lie, or a son of man that he might change his mind…
(Num 23:19)

I struggle with these words. 

You see, I have trust issues. I loved a man who lied and changed his mind and It made me question everyone in my life. Are they being honest? Will they leave too?

And when I look to God, it’s nearly impossible not to sling the same questions at him.  God, are you lying to me? Are you going to walk away too?

Sometimes the ground beneath my feet feels impossibly fragile–like a sheet of glass. One misstep & the whole thing might crack. And life feels all the more vulnerable when the calendar flips to a new year. Can I actually go another round? Will my burdens weigh down so much that cracks begin to form beneath me? I feel wobbly in January.

Sunday, December 1st, will mark the 8th anniversary of my marriage shattering. I have a tradition of setting my alarm for December 1st with the label: YOU SURVIVED. And it’s true. We have.

Our God is WITH us. He chose to dwell with us.
He is God of the lowly and cast down.

If you’re feeling at a loss to know what to pray for the woman walking through an unwanted divorce, could I point you towards Psalm 138:8? This verse is a treasure and praying it over a woman walking through marital breakdown will be a hope-filled and powerful gift.

There is a profound gashing of a soul that happens in rejection. When our very personhood and value are cast aside, it’s very hard to rewire our brains to believe that not everyone feels the same about us.

My pain will not have the final say. My grief can only ever go so far. My life on earth may be filled to the brim with sorrow, but one day it will reach a limit where it can tread no further. There are gates to a holy city, where my Jesus prepares a place for me. In his presence, there will be no more tears and no more pain. My grief will reach a boundary it may not cross.

My soul, bless the Lord...
Oh weary soul of mine, choose today to bless the Lord. Choose to lift your cast-down gaze, your fatigue, your heaviness, and your grief to the Lord who is so near. Your heart will lighten as you praise. It makes no sense, but a sacred exchange happens in the heavenly places when you praise from the bottom of the pit. 

The Church is the very body of Christ–His hands, feet, arms, ears, eyes. And as that Body comes together under the Head, Jesus, the battle against despair and hopelessness is waged. What a high and sacred calling the Church has!

I pray you will know that Jesus is your greatest Treasure. I pray that you will lay down your hurt, your anger, your grief and your questions and know that Jesus is enough. I pray you will lay down all your heart is running after to fill the broken places and know that Jesus is enough. I pray that you will look at your life, not through the lens of what you’ve lost, but what you’ve gained.

Christ Jesus is the greatest Treasure in all the universe. He is the image and radiance of God the Father (Col 1:15, Heb 1:3). In him, all the fullness of God resides (Col 2:9). He is the Firstborn over all creation and Creator of all things (Col 1:15-16). He is King of kings, Lord of lords (Rev 19:16), Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end (Rev 21:13). He is exalted above all (Phil 2:9). 

And believer, He is our’s, forevermore.

So if this is true, if this Treasure is truly mine—a free gift given to me by a Father who loves me eternally—why do I often feel so empty, so lacking?