The Paradox of Blessedness

I suppose it is absolutely no coincidence that I am carrying this baby during the Christmas season and he is due at Easter. Two times of the year when we are reminded of God's most amazing miracles. Happy is such a miracle. No matter what happens he will be one of my life's most amazing miracles. All children are! The Bible says that children are a blessing, a gift from God.

A few days ago I had picked up a book written by William Barclay, it is a daily study Bible on the book of Luke. There is a section on the Paradox of Blessedness that is focused around Mary's prayer the Magnificat. As I contemplate the Christmas story I am so reminded that being chosen by God for a task is often a "crown of joy" as well as a "cross of sorrow", as Barclay puts it. For Mary she was granted the blessedness of being the mother of Jesus! What an amazing blessing! But at the same time being the mother of the son of God would also mean watching him suffer and then hang on the cross. Barclay says in his book that "The piercing truth is that God does not choose a person for ease and comfort and selfish joy but for a task that will take all that the head and hard and hand can bring to it, God chooses us in order to use us." God is chosing to use our family. When I look at the grand scheme of things and look beyond my life here on this earth I can see that these sufferings and difficult times are actually my blessings. All things that are suffered are for God. Happy is already an amazing blessing. We are living life more for each day than we had been, we are searching the Bible for answers more than before and we are TRULY understanding Christmas in a way I never thought possible. Suffering is never in vain unless we allow that and I REFUSE! Happy is a miracle and I am going to be sure that I help to accomplish whatever it is that God is looking to accomplish through our family. As I said before, I am praying for a great report and for God to intervene at our next appointment on the 18th but I am also asking God to use us for his Glory. I know that greatness is bound to come from this situation no matter what!

Barclay also quotes a great preacher who once said "Jesus Christ came not to make life easy but to make men great" This quote gives me hope! Those who sail through life with little pain cannot live life with the same passion and intensity and I am going to try my hardest to be thankful for everything God gives no matter how hard it seems.

As I remain focused in the Bible and studying those who suffered in the Bible I am constantly seeing that they were not "targeted" they were chosen! Some of the greatest people in Biblical times suffered a great deal. I have been looking at Christmas as I had never seen it before from the perspective of Mary and Joseph. I am reminded that no one suffered the way Jesus did. And the book of Job is another book I am studying intensely right now. I am working on a journal post with my thoughts on Job but it isn't done yet. Job suffered and he got angry with God. He struggled a great deal with getting his heart and his head in line and the book of Job also tells us so much about how we should deal with a friend or loved one who is suffering.