Go Ahead. Live Your One Life.
Life will preach you a lesson, if you let it.
And I don’t mean the kind of pulpit-pounding preachin’ that makes you see the cracks and the holes in who you are. But the kind of heart-pounding preachin’ that makes you see how the cracks are being filled. Present tense.
This is what God is doing. Now.
With Spirit mortar. God glue. And look at your soul-skin, would you? Take a good look, and see how it’s covered with the lifemap of God. Look at all those lines, filled and now filling.
You might hear that kind of preaching in the sanctuary with your people this weekend. Yeah, you might hear it from the pulpit.
But some of the best worship services I’ve ever attended have happened in the woods, and in the hospital rooms, and under the starry host by a jade green river, and bent over the diaper changing table at 2 a.m., and in the counselor’s office, and somewhere out by the back 80 where the corn grows tall, and at a candlelit supper with frozen pizza and best friends, with babes in arms. Life preaches lessons in the pits and the pinnacles. It’s all right here, friends. Right now. Can you see it there, in your one precious life? Can you see the gospel in the mirror?
This is gospel, Good News in you, where you look your own life in its scarred and wrinkled face and declare it good. Very good.
The revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together.
– Psalm 19:7
Amen…Jennifer…had a moment yesterday…overwhelmed by God’s grace as I deposited a check in the bank…tears of His great love….filling the cracks…worship right there as I exited the bank…only He can transform my blind eyes see His grace…my deaf ears to hear him “preach” the gospel to me….and my heart to receive His love. Have a wonderful weekend…I pray the house continues to be funded!!!’
Dear Jennifer
This is so true! The best sermons are preached in the trenches of life where we learn through experience. Those are the sermons we remember and the kind that has the power to change us for good for the Pastor of these sermons uses all of life for our good and His glory!
Blessings XX
Mia
Such beautiful words of Christ in us, the hope of glory. I want to embrace that Good News in me and let it seep out that others may know too.
I just love how you write, Jennifer. beautiful and speaking right from and to the heart.
God glue, spirit mortar…I think I may have had one of those preaching moments in this space..reading your words. this was filling. thank you.
I love you… and all your words. I can’t wait until we get to just sit and talk face to face, heart to heart…. one day, my friend! I see you.
Beautiful encouragement here, Jennifer! God’s grace spills into all the cracks and crevices of our days as it sing a sweet saving song to bring a melody of synchronous praise from our grateful hearts. There is much to celebrate in the being alive and trying to thrive moments. Thank you for this great reminder. Blessings 🙂 x
Your words about cracks being filled in made me think of the wrinkles that occur as we age. I love the imagery you created, of God filling in all those lines. Not that he gives us face-lifts! But when his radiance shines through the eyes, smiles, and lives of his older saints, the wrinkles don’t matter a smidgen. The glow on their faces is awe-inspiring! Now that I am developing my own share of cracks (!), I pray God fills in those lines with his love, joy, and peace!
“Life preaches lessons in the pits and the pinnacles. It’s all right here, friends. Right now. Can you see it there, in your one precious life? Can you see the gospel in the mirror?” Beautifully true! The more I grow the more I see just how much the gospel is truly working in and through me. Oh! To God be the glory!! Thank you dear one for this precious reminder.
“With Spirit mortar. God glue. And look at your soul-skin, would you? Take a good look, and see how it’s covered with the lifemap of God. Look at all those lines, filled and now filling.” Beautiful words!