What inspires a fresh hopefulness in you?
Yesterday evening I was blessed to host the inaugural Treasured Tears Holiday dinner.
One of the hardest seasons to walk through in the valley of the shadow of death is the Holiday season. Thanksgiving comes blatantly showing us the empty chair at the table. We hardly have enough time to exhale from that painful Holiday when we face all the Christmas festivities. Many admire the beautiful decorations, the same decorations that become a disturbing reminder to some of us, that someone we held so dear will not be celebrating with us this year.
For some, it is impossible to see beyond the darkness they feel. I lived there myself for many years.
But the grace of God lifted me out of the abyss (pit of hell) and did not let the enemies gloat when I called out to God to heal me.
The most profound things I have learned in my life have come from the deepest times of suffering. Times I spent in the deep waters, and hottest fires have brought me to the place of knowing who our God truly is.
I am on a mission to help those suffering great pain and loss find their spiritual fruit and hope in God. Last night God provided the most beautiful blessing I could have ever imagined. I sat amid other women who spoke the same language I do. The words and the gut-wrenching truth, a child we once loved here on earth is no longer here with us. As I introduced myself to one mom, her words hit me with a strong force when she said you and me; we are part of a club in which we never wanted to find ourselves.
Here is the truth, we broke bread, we shared our pain and loved on one another in a Christ-like way. We lifted those who were still raw in their grief. We encouraged others to break out of their shame they have carried alone for many years. It was a safe place to experience even the slightest amount of joy possible for some, finally understanding what it means to be in the loving arms of our perfect Father. A Father who knows all our pain, doubts, and hopelessness. A father we can lean on in our troubling times.
It was a good night.
I don’t know all of God’s purposes in suffering, but I do know that he has used my pain to comfort others. I have suffered severely in the past in ways I couldn’t understand. I now know, many have been comforted by my story and watching my steadfast and relentless faith.
If I hadn’t allowed God to heal the wounds I carried in my heart, I would have missed all the blessings He had in store for me. I wouldn’t have found what it meant to have a relationship with Jesus, only a name I had heard in the distant past.
God allowed this in His grand plan because he knew I would take these wounds, let Him heal them in His perfect way. I have a scar on the inside. You can’t see it on the outside, but it is now being used for His glory!
This morning I awoke to a text message with the following words: Good morning Bev, I am still basking in the presence and blessing of the Lord from our gathering last night! It was very special.
The Lord put this event on my heart, as well as many more in the future. We will be gathering monthly to continue to pour into the hearts and lives of others and empowering them to find a purpose to rise out of their pain.
There is a treasure inside each one of us. There are people out there that need us, need our testimonies. Our families need us. No matter how dark it may seem, one thing we can know is that God is the only real source of certainty in this life. God promises He will make a way and help many of us climb what we once saw as a mountain to large to ascend.
He truly does heal our broken hearts, bind our wounds and gives us beauty for ashes.
God heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds ~ Psalm 147:3
Beverly Shoemaker 