swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I was with you, teaching
in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. But the Scriptures
must be fulfilled.” (Mark 14: 48-49)
Jesus was an active, willing part of the life that led to our salvation.
Are you?
Asked to be spared the suffering; “My Father, ” He pleaded, “'if it is
possible, may this cup be taken from me'” (Matthew 26:39), He was
denied and so He let it be.
And thus He understands our suffering.
He reminds the soldiers He didn’t stop them coming for Him using
any of the ways He could have “Or do you think that I cannot appeal
to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than
twelve legions of angels? How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled,
which say that it must happen this way?” Matthew 6:53-54
Though we face not crucifixion, the “slings and arrows of outrageous
fortune” do come to pass at all of us. What is our response? “Why
me?” or “Why not me?”
For just today, just this hour, just this moment, can we bravely ex-
perience each emotion that results from these outrageous life events?
Can we consider each as it passes through us? Consider it just what
it is…the glad, the bad, the ugly? Accepting that they are emotions
that even Jesus must have felt?
The suffering and the feelings themselves feel bad. Can’t we ask and
pray that they be taken away? Certainly Jesus did. When they stay,
or inevitably, resurface another time, what use can they be? What
are they present to fulfill? Can we ask next that if they MUST BE that
they bring us closer to God? We may not know what that “bringing”
looks like—and it may be frightening indeed. Can we pray to our one
true Source, that the best of all possible things come from it—
spiritual closeness to the One who made us? A life lived is a chance
to take part in His salvation and a promise of reunion with the Him.
May it be joyously so!
Rebecca Wilcox
thank you for today-- good insight into using our "good, bad and ugly" (what we ever do without Sergio Leone?) moments to move closer to God
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