Redemption Ground

There was a time I thought divorce was not an option for Christians.

Then, as I looked at my parents marriage crumble, I realized divorce was the only option for a situation that had become toxic.

Then I thought, but after divorce comes singleness and God Himself will be there. And He was. But I saw how lonely my mom was. She filled her time, no, she redeemed her time. She brought it to God and used it for Him.

Now, today, I'm standing beside my mom at an event I never thought would happen. For the last ten years I've prayed, Lord if it's your will let her marry, but if not, I know you will be to her what she needs...

And then my brother died.

You see, as the first born, it's always weighed on me that I am responsible to care for the family. Maybe I presume too much...??

When my brother died, I thought: "at least she had a companion, now she is alone." But my sister reminded she was there and I left.

And then I started hearing about Steve. And soon they were a 'thing' and then they were engaged and now they are married (or just about 😜)

And through this journey, I've learned two lessons. Or rather, I've had to relearn two lessons that I ought to have learned years ago.

The first, God doesn't need me!

What a relief! I am not responsible to run the world. I am not responsible to make sure every T gets crossed and every I dotted. I am not responsible to see to the needs of the people around me. God may use me. But that's His choice, not my responsibility.

What freedom is this!

When I worried about a best friend being left on her own, God brought an unlikely suitor, and they are perfectly matched

When I worried about a Sunday school with no teacher or a teen night with no facilitator, in His own time, God brought people along to fill those needs- and to fill the, better than I ever could have! - Isn't He so wonderful!!

When I worried about my mom being left alone by herself, God brought a man along who sees in her all the things and more that I have come to appreciate.

So, who am I to think that God needs me in a particular location to do a particular job. God, forgive my pride!

The second lesson, has nothing to do with me and everything to do with my Father. Can I just tell you again how amazing He is.

He is in the business of redemption.

He offers to the sinner, redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins. And to the born again believer, that is the very start of life. That is the crux of this life. That is everything. Christ died for me the sinner. And in believing this, not just my soul but my very existence is redeemed.

My existence is redeemed.

He continually comes behind me and redeems me. He continually takes my choices and makes them beautiful. (Even the choices that I make willfully for my interests, even these He can redeem if I let Him.) He continually teaches me how to be more like Him and thereby makes me more myself, releasing me from the passions of the flesh and the besetting sins. He redeems not just my soul, but my very life. Everything that I am and do is now seen through the light of God's grace, it is redeemed from empty, meaningless activity to purposeful acts of service in obedience to my Lord and Saviour.

I am witness today, my Father took a painful, broken mess and redeemed it and made it beautiful. Because the beauty in the act of two lives promising to love each other through good and bad and through all the mess of life is really just a picture of how Christ loves His chosen ones, His bride.

I'm standing here today to watch my mom and Steve get married, but really what I see is how Christ has entered into my brokenness and made it beautiful, how He has forgiven all my sins and redeemed me and then promised that for all of eternity He would love me and care for me. And really, it doesn't get much better than that!