Beauty For Ashes
A beautiful song lyric reads, “He gives beauty for ashes, strength for fear, gladness for mourning, and peace for despair.” As I ponder on those lyrics, I am reminded of a verse that also speaks to the blessings of our trials. “And, we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love the Lord.” Roman 8:28 (emphasis mine.) “Not my divorce”, you say. “Not my job loss”, you insist. And certainly, “not the loss of my loved one,” you cry. How can that be? How can the pain I experience ever become something good? I have experienced this on more than one occasion in life’s ups and downs. It most recently occurred to me when speaking to a group of teens about their faith. Wanting to really relate and make the message relevant for them, I dug deep into the recesses of my own high school days, only to realize that some of the ugliest and most hurtful times in my life (kids can be so cruel) had now been transformed into the beautiful story of my life today. My weight became a problem for me in high school and it happened quickly. Even before I was significantly overweight, I was very self-conscious, often hiding behind bulky clothes, coats, “big hair” and lots of make-up. (Hey, it was the eighties!) Although I will hit a milestone in 2012 (turning forty) I remember vividly the pain of growing up as someone who was inflicted by low self-, lace of confidence and bouts of depression due to her weight. One vivid memory: an evening basketball game sitting in the bleachers with friends, sweat pouring because I was still wearing my coat in a packed gymnasium with hundreds of people sitting side by side. Amidst all the noise I overhear two “friends” giggling behind me, “she looks like a white Oprah!” (Sorry Oprah, I’m pretty sure it wasn’t meant to be a compliment.) Although twenty years removed, the words still sting, yet the story has become beautiful. A story and life-long lesson of hope when there is none, encouragement when I feel discouraged, and direction when I feel lost. The pain of that time in my life has now been transformed into a ministry of hope and God’s plan for health and wellness for hundreds of men and women. A story of weight loss may pale in comparison to what others have gone through in life, including my parents. January 2012 will mark an anniversary for our family that no family wants to celebrate; the loss of their son, my brother, Jimmy. Although, if given the chance, all in our family would take my brother back in a heartbeat, the lessons we learned and the changes brought about in our own family during that time were nothing short of miraculous. Changes in behaviors, appreciation for what’s really important in life and gifts and blessings that were most certainly from God, all came out of the most difficult time in our lives. Our eyes were opened to the fact that, yes, everything works together for the good of those who love the Lord. That, although we may have to “dig deep” to find them, the blessings, the lessons, are there and waiting to be found. May you be blessed today with the revelation that deep hurts, pains, or trials in your life are being worked out and transforming you to grow closer to Him. May you see the “Beauty for Ashes.”
A beautiful song lyric reads, “He gives beauty for ashes, strength for fear, gladness for mourning, and peace for despair.” As I ponder on those lyrics, I am reminded of a verse that also speaks to the blessings of our trials. “And, we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love the Lord.” Roman 8:28 (emphasis mine.) “Not my divorce”, you say. “Not my job loss”, you insist. And certainly, “not the loss of my loved one,” you cry. How can that be? How can the pain I experience ever become something good? I have experienced this on more than one occasion in life’s ups and downs. It most recently occurred to me when speaking to a group of teens about their faith. Wanting to really relate and make the message relevant for them, I dug deep into the recesses of my own high school days, only to realize that some of the ugliest and most hurtful times in my life (kids can be so cruel) had now been transformed into the beautiful story of my life today. My weight became a problem for me in high school and it happened quickly. Even before I was significantly overweight, I was very self-conscious, often hiding behind bulky clothes, coats, “big hair” and lots of make-up. (Hey, it was the eighties!) Although I will hit a milestone in 2012 (turning forty) I remember vividly the pain of growing up as someone who was inflicted by low self-, lace of confidence and bouts of depression due to her weight. One vivid memory: an evening basketball game sitting in the bleachers with friends, sweat pouring because I was still wearing my coat in a packed gymnasium with hundreds of people sitting side by side. Amidst all the noise I overhear two “friends” giggling behind me, “she looks like a white Oprah!” (Sorry Oprah, I’m pretty sure it wasn’t meant to be a compliment.) Although twenty years removed, the words still sting, yet the story has become beautiful. A story and life-long lesson of hope when there is none, encouragement when I feel discouraged, and direction when I feel lost. The pain of that time in my life has now been transformed into a ministry of hope and God’s plan for health and wellness for hundreds of men and women. A story of weight loss may pale in comparison to what others have gone through in life, including my parents. January 2012 will mark an anniversary for our family that no family wants to celebrate; the loss of their son, my brother, Jimmy. Although, if given the chance, all in our family would take my brother back in a heartbeat, the lessons we learned and the changes brought about in our own family during that time were nothing short of miraculous. Changes in behaviors, appreciation for what’s really important in life and gifts and blessings that were most certainly from God, all came out of the most difficult time in our lives. Our eyes were opened to the fact that, yes, everything works together for the good of those who love the Lord. That, although we may have to “dig deep” to find them, the blessings, the lessons, are there and waiting to be found. May you be blessed today with the revelation that deep hurts, pains, or trials in your life are being worked out and transforming you to grow closer to Him. May you see the “Beauty for Ashes.”
Ok, that's one of my favorite songs and my absolute favorite verse in the Bible! Thanks for sharing your painful stories and showing how the Lord uses them.
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