One week -
One week -
.... of brokenhearted -
brokenness
before the Lord,
in all things,
in all emotions,
in all actions,
in all thoughts,
in all memories,
in all prayers,
in all singing,
in all writing,
in all driving the car,
in all breathing,
in all sleeping,
in all thinking,
in all eating,
in all reading His Word,
in all kneeling down,
in all hugs,
in all weeping.
In all:
I am so utterly broken and brokenhearted.
One of my very favorite hymns
that has helped me through this week,
I've played it about 50 times, on YouTube
by singing, by cello, by piano -
and by reading it over and over:
"My Shepherd will supply my need,
Jehovah is His name.
In pastures fresh He makes me feed,
Beside the living stream.
He brings my wand’ring spirit back,
When I forsake His ways.
And leads me for His mercy’s sake
In paths of truth and grace.
When I walk through the shades of death
Thy presence is my stay.
One word of Thy supporting breath
Drives all my fears away.
Thy hand in sight of all my foes,
Doth still my table spread.
My cup with blessings overflows,
Thine oil anoints my head.
The sure provisions of my God
Attend me all my days.
O may Thy house be my abode,
And all my work be praise.
There would I find a settled rest,
While others go and come.
No more a stranger nor a guest,
But like a child at home."
(Isaac Watts)
While life is somewhat this past week
like that post I did, on Goodbyes,
when everything seems to be so wrong,
when life is shredded down to 25 kinds of pain,
when you watch friends so dear they are family
in your heart say "Goodbye",
...
while life is like that,
for now,
I'm brokenhearted and broken
before my holy Savior,
Who hath conquered the grave,
overcome the world,
Who hath laid the foundation of the earth,
Who divided the sea whose waves roared...
the Lord of hosts is His name,
Who has borne our griefs,
and carried our sorrows ...
and Whose love wilt never let us go.
In sadness and in joy,
~ Jean Marie ~
"Neither life nor death shall ever
From the Lord His children sever;
Unto them His grace He showeth,
And their sorrows all He knoweth."
(Karolina W. Sandell-Berg 1858)
brokenness
before the Lord,
in all things,
in all emotions,
in all actions,
in all thoughts,
in all memories,
in all prayers,
in all singing,
in all writing,
in all driving the car,
in all breathing,
in all sleeping,
in all thinking,
in all eating,
in all reading His Word,
in all kneeling down,
in all hugs,
in all weeping.
In all:
I am so utterly broken and brokenhearted.
One of my very favorite hymns
that has helped me through this week,
I've played it about 50 times, on YouTube
by singing, by cello, by piano -
and by reading it over and over:
"My Shepherd will supply my need,
Jehovah is His name.
In pastures fresh He makes me feed,
Beside the living stream.
He brings my wand’ring spirit back,
When I forsake His ways.
And leads me for His mercy’s sake
In paths of truth and grace.
When I walk through the shades of death
Thy presence is my stay.
One word of Thy supporting breath
Drives all my fears away.
Thy hand in sight of all my foes,
Doth still my table spread.
My cup with blessings overflows,
Thine oil anoints my head.
The sure provisions of my God
Attend me all my days.
O may Thy house be my abode,
And all my work be praise.
There would I find a settled rest,
While others go and come.
No more a stranger nor a guest,
But like a child at home."
(Isaac Watts)
While life is somewhat this past week
like that post I did, on Goodbyes,
when everything seems to be so wrong,
when life is shredded down to 25 kinds of pain,
when you watch friends so dear they are family
in your heart say "Goodbye",
...
while life is like that,
for now,
I'm brokenhearted and broken
before my holy Savior,
Who hath conquered the grave,
overcome the world,
Who hath laid the foundation of the earth,
Who divided the sea whose waves roared...
the Lord of hosts is His name,
Who has borne our griefs,
and carried our sorrows ...
and Whose love wilt never let us go.
In sadness and in joy,
~ Jean Marie ~
"Neither life nor death shall ever
From the Lord His children sever;
Unto them His grace He showeth,
And their sorrows all He knoweth."
(Karolina W. Sandell-Berg 1858)
God Bless you, Jean Marie. -- Much love.
ReplyDeleteWhat can be said to comfort a friend so sad? To a family weeping still?
ReplyDeleteYou'd think I'd know... but I don't!
Just know this, Jean, I love you and the Lord has never dropped you from His loving hand!
♥M
"Hold me, Oh God, for the sea is so large, and my boat is so small"
ReplyDeleteAn Ancient Mariner's prayer
Dear Jean Marie:
I have only been watching your blog for a short time. I don't know you at all. I happened to come here from the Serven's blog when you wrote about Rebecca and Steven's engagement. Imagine my surprise to find a picture of myself. I cannot even begin to tell you what it meant to me to find that picture. I am the woman in the picture with a little baby boy on my lap whom Rebecca is hugging. What you cannot possibly know (I think) is that the baby on my lap is dying. You also cannot possibly know that he is our third child (out of six children)to die of a very rare genetic disorder.
My dear, I do not have any idea what has caused your brokenness. I have also known brokenness. I do, however, know the solution. I can see that you also know the solution. Hold fast to that Truth. While your heart shatters, even if the world falls apart around you, hold tight to Jesus.
In some of our lives, the Dear Savior allows sorrows and woundings beyond understanding. My experience is that He gives more of Himself. Let Him be your consolation. He is enough.
He asks us to give all of ourselves, all of our lives, all that we have (including and especially our children) to Him. Into our "be it unto me according to Thy will" He presses, He molds and sometimes He strikes us to the heart, leaving vast wounds. These wounds His nail-scarred hands leave behind truly are His greatest gifts of love, though we usually can't see it at the time.
These are the kinds of wounds that set us free to know what it is to be God's own beloved children. We learn here about what really matters and eternity finds a true home in our hearts. Hand in hand the Savior longs to walk with us through the pain to the "Kingdom That Cannot Be Shaken". That He would love us so much as to take us where we could not go ourselves, where we could not yield to Him, that which we would cling to ourselves.
As our Great Physician, He is willing to strike a crushing blow in order to shock our hearts awake to the LIFE He has for us. He loves us so much He is willing to be misunderstood. He is willing for us to choose something or someone besides Himself as we grope about in the darkness of the pain, in order that our choice may be free.
Really hard things in life often bring about really dark things in the lives of those we love. I have watched this. I have seen people in their moments of pain make really bad choices and I can find no judgement in my heart for them, only a cry for God's mercy. There but for God's grace goes me....and it has been me a time or two. I have also seen, in the fullness of God's time (not mine), God redeem and bring light out of darkness.
I have been in the Valley, Jean Marie, more than once. There is nothing to fear there, for Christ Himself is with us. Conversely, there is only one Hope, and He Himself is with us. Emmanuel. He is the only Hope for us all, whether we know it or not.
For all of us, there comes grief. The only difference is that some of us grieve as those who HAVE HOPE....and what a Hope we have. May this one and only, blessed Hope keep your heart and mind during this difficult time. May you find and know the joys present only in the face of great sorrow. I pray you will trust Him with all your unanswered prayers. May you know Him in your dark times. May you know His fellowship in your suffering. May the crown that awaits the overcomers be yours. Lord willing, I will be there with you to cast mine at His feet, knowing full well that God's grace can reach anywhere because it reached all the way to me....among the broken.
Your sister in Christ,
Mrs.Y
Prayers and hearts are with you Jean.
ReplyDeleteMrs. Y, our prayers are with you and your family as well.
Dear Mrs Y.,
ReplyDeleteWhat a precious post you left for my friend Jean. How lovely that you happened upon this blog, and that dear picture, and have now been able to encourage a sister in Christ during her time in need. Your words carry the more weight because of your sorrows, and God is truly at work in your life when you can go through all the pain you've had to go through, and still write what you wrote. I pray that God will continue to strengthen you and give you grace. I know that Jean is away for a couple days and therefore may not be able to respond to your comment as soon as she might have done, but I think that it will touch her, I pray that it will encourage her, and - coming from "the lady in the picture" - I am sure it will be special to her. God bless you!
* * *
Jean, dear, you know I'm praying for you.
* * *
Sarah