I feature posts from my grandfather's blog on these days. Here is a post from September 14th 2008
"Forgive
Some people wonder why I watch my soap opera. I have to tell you that my soap opera is like a series of parables showing the result of sin. First there was the lie that got discovered and did all kinds of horrible damage to the family including causing one of them to die. Now in the aftermath of those tragic events comes the problem of forgiveness. Because the family can’t forgive it is being torn apart. Unforgiveness is even causing one family member to consider killing another. At the same time a half crazed criminal who can’t forgive a perceived act by another part of the family is trying to punish that part. And to add to it all the marriage of a nice young couple has ended because he can’t forgive her for lying to him. In today’s Gospel read in churches using the revised standard lectionary Jesus tells us that Christians have been forgiven by the Father and are obligated to forgive. The soap opera shows us what happens when people don’t forgive. In some ways it helps us to understand why Jesus thought forgiveness was so important."
Today's song is Stars in the Night by Tenth Avenue North
Lyrics:
No matter where you lead, we want to follow You Trouble is we forget who we belong to We chase the wind and tides We chase the reasons why Chase the spark inside each other's eyes Desires are a war, we want that final shore Sailing on until we find what we've been looking for
Hallelujah, we're running to You On fire from the mercy in Your eyes And through the dark, singing we are Yours Your love will lead us through the fight Like stars in the night Stars in the night Stars in the night Lead us through the fight
We fix our eyes on what we know is true Even in our shame, grace makes a way through Be our obsession, our constellation You are light in and out of every season So we keep pressing on with our redemption song No one can undo what You've done
Hallelujah, we're running to You On fire from the mercy in Your eyes And through the dark, singing we are Yours Your love will lead us through the fight Like stars in the night
All our lives for the other side, where we'll never die And in the darkest night, we will lift our eyes The life that lies ahead is more than all we leave behind
Hallelujah, we're running to You On fire from the mercy in Your eyes And through the dark, singing we are Yours Your love will lead us through the fight Like stars in the night Stars in the night Stars in the night Lead us through the fight
The other day I woke up already pretty tired. Work has been crazy and stressful. Outside it was foggy and in general, the day had a general "blah" feeling. Accompanying this was the news talking about the murder of the news reporter and her camera man which was deeply troubling to me.
I think God knew that I was feeling a little worn down because as I reached into a laundry basket in the laundry room I pulled out a white shirt I had been missing for a few weeks though I had gone to look for it. It was my Tenth Avenue North "Worn" t-shirt I got at Lifest.
After I got dressed, I played the song on my phone. The first chorus going like this "I’m Tired I’m worn My heart is heavy From the work it takes To keep on breathing I’ve made mistakes I’ve let my hope fail My soul feels crushed By the weight of this world"
My heart was heavy. The world was definitely crushing me at that point, but I knew when I found that shirt that God was speaking to me.
The next line goes like this
"And I know that you can give me rest
So I cry out with all that I have left"
So I did cry out (in my mind) as I played the song. As I drove to work the station I was on was talking about the event, and I drove on through the fog gently crying. I thought about how life is so much like driving through a fog. We really do not ever know what is going to happen. That morning Alison Parkerdid not know what was going to happen when she reported to work. There is no way of knowing what is going to happen, and that is scary. As unclear as the fog is, it also has a trance like affect as though it makes you sleepy/tired/worn. Throughout these foggy days of Fall something has been just as strong as I drive to school. The sun behind the fog. The sun fought so hard to get out, and it illuminated my path all the way to school where the fog was virtually gone. The chorus of the song goes "Let me see redemption win Let me know the struggle ends That you can mend a heart That’s frail and torn I wanna know a song can rise From the ashes of a broken life And all that’s dead inside can be reborn Cause I’m worn"
After getting the shirt on a day I needed it, and having the sun shine so bright through the fog, I can tell you that God has an answer to the singers requests. Redemption will win, the struggle will end, hearts will be mended, and the dead will be reborn.
Is there a fog that you are going through? Is there something wearing you down? Is there a way that God shines like the sun through the fog for you?
Let me know in the comments or by using the email option to the right.
