Blessed are YOU!!

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.”
Matthew 5:3-4

Some days just lend themselves to sad news…and I guess today is one of them. I am hearing left and right of loss and pain and I am unable to process it all. It leads anyone, no matter how deep their faith, to ask, “where is God in all of this?”

There are so many stories that I could pinpoint right now as an example of what is going on in people’s lives, what is their reality but I read the above and all I can think about are the two little surprise crocuses I noticed this morning in my front yard. Where did they come from?They were never there before. But then again, I never tore away the dead brush so early in the season before either. Were they there all along just waiting to get new life and not be covered in death?

Sometimes in our pain, we overlook the new life that is occurring. The new life that begins in the arms of God. Blessed are the poor in spirit…those who depend on God. Blessed are those who mourn, God will comfort you.

I find it so interesting that two thousand years ago someone wrote these words and yet they are eternally true. One thing that we learn as we travel through scripture is that what was true about us then is true about us now. Isn’t it true that we need to depend on God? Isn’t it also true that we need to feel embraced, safely held in the arms of our beloved father whose devotion to us defies our understanding or articulation? How great is God’s love! We know it in the hearts of the people who surround us. We feel it in their warm embrace, their pat on the back, their food offering. We know it in the prayers that are offered up for us daily.

Today, I pray for all of those who are suffering from the loss of a loved one. I pray for those who are struggling with an illness and for their caregivers. Today, I ask God to penetrate my heart with a profound knowledge of his love so that I may carry that to others. I hold steadfast the words of Jesus where I find my comfort.