Mokena mailboxes took a beating this winter. Many are dented, cracked and snapped in half while others stand untouched.
The funniest one is on Haas Road. Kudos to the creative folks who zip tied the box vertically to the side of the post. One on our cul-de-sac surrendered to the snowplows after leaning sideways, backward then forward as though pleading for winter to die. Another casualty of a cold season.
How about you? How are you this side of frozen? Broken, dented, barely hanging in there?
Maybe spring rolls in feeling more like a battle than winter’s reprieve. The chill hangs on, soul-deep. Maybe it’s the death of a dream, a marriage, or a family member.
I’ve learned that grief is an unwanted, unpredictable, yet unavoidable process. Stuffing it robs our emotional, spiritual, and physical health. The same is true if we let it consume our thoughts. It defines us, controls us, and can shackle us into a victim mindset.
After my baby girl’s death, I was angry at God and drank to numb my ache. That led to more regret – a soul-killing cycle of pain adding to pain. All those years, God wanted me to know He didn’t cause my anguish, but could use it to grow me so healing could shine through me.
That is our hope. Death becoming life.
Consider Gloria’s thoughts of her mother’s passing. “Death – though it will have its ugly moment – will itself die. [Jesus’] resurrection is our proof and our promise.”
Because He defeated death, there’s resurrection power available not only in eternity but here on earth – in each crisis, attitude and heartache. Believing this, we find power to overcome sin that sears our conscience and sadness that robs us of abundant life.
Remember, my friend, Jesus’ life and death doesn’t teach us freedom from sorrow, it teaches us freedom through sorrow. This liberates us from grief’s control and empowers us to comfort others.
You may not see an end to your dreary days but God does. He’s already there. Like a father waiting to catch his toddler, He’s kneeling down with arms wide open. We can walk head-on into our difficulties knowing He’s got us and we’ll be stronger on the other side.
Talk to Him about everything, big and small. One on one. Don’t stuff it. Cry, rant and scream if you must but please don’t lose hope. No matter how battered you feel or how far you’ve sunk, He doesn’t love you any less.
Into those cold, gray days spring will bloom. We may be a little dented but God breathes new life into us. May we allow Him to transform all that hinders us – our grief, our worry, our shame, all our ugly – into something beautiful. Trust His resurrection power, spring’s final battle with winter.
© Robin Melvin 2015
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