Pass It On

I don't know if you have this experience, but I do time and time again: as long as my head is up and I am paying attention, God is sending messages my way.  Messages of his constancy and his faithfulness, messages of his love and compassion, messages that remind me that he is with me always.

I don't know about you, but I need these constant reminders.

Maybe its because my mind is like a fluttering butterfly that flits to and fro....lighting upon one thought and then getting waylaid by another.  Maybe its because there are so many distractions slamming in upon my brain....children yanking on my clothes and saying, "Mom MOm MOM" in growing volumes, my phone buzzing and chirping to indicate that there are VERY IMPORTANT TEXTS THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED, LIKE, NOW; laundry that should have been folded several days ago because we have been out of socks for a while now and we are all wearing dad's socks which, incidentally, are too big....  There are so many distractions that dismantle any coherent thought that I may have been piecing together so very nicely.

I don't know about you, but I am so glad that God just keeps on sending his messages.
Messages of his love and care for a creation that is breath-taking.....my morning walk with the dog was back-dropped with an orange-splashed sunrise.  An evening walk with my Beloved hinted at a full-moon mysteriously peeking out from a moody, night sky.

Messages about delighting in the minutiae.....hanging out with my kids who MUST fill their pockets with chestnuts EVERY time we pass the chess-nut tree on our walks so that they can plant them and grow trees for tomorrow.

Gospel messages preached by a pastor that seems to have been written just for me.  "The more you embrace suffering," he intoned this morning, "the less it overpowers you..."  

Written messages straight out of God's Word or straight out of my daily devotional.  Tonight I tucked my big boys into bed.  Before I wrestled a kiss out of these pre-pubescent noodle-heads, I pulled out their evening devotional.  It's a beauty.  It focuses on one Bible verse each night and explains it in very simple language.  I opened the book, read today's verse and snickered.
"There you go again, God," I felt like saying.  Actually I did say, it in my heart-of-hearts...."there you go again, feeding me just what I needed to hear.  Completing a thought that was niggling away in the deepest, darkest recesses of my brain-matter."

Tonight our devotional was from 2 Corinthians 1: 3, 4.  Here it is for you to enjoy:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies 

and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, 

so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, 

with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.  

For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share 

abundantly in comfort too.""  

A bit of a mouthful, right?   Now, from hanging out with my sports-minded kids, I have learned that we can find competition in pretty much anything.  Thereby, I noticed this:  Comfort - 6; Affliction/Suffering - 3.  Win goes to Comfort!   Woot!

Now, this Word-Nerd loves to investigate terminology so I googled The Message's translation of these same verses:

"All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah!  

Father of all mercy!  God of all healing counsel!  

He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, 

he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there 

for that person just as God was there for us.  We have plenty of hard times that come from 

following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort - 

we get a full measure of that, too."  

This life is hard.  Sometimes it just down-right sucks.  I know people who have experienced such grief and despair that they can't even GO THERE.  

But then God comes alongside and whispers, "I know.  It hurts, doesn't it?  I'm here.  I've got you."

And knowing a comfort that only God can truly and purely give....well, it's inspiring.  

Knowing His all-encompassing compassion - "I will wipe away EVERY tear," he tells us - it's motivating.  

I've felt His comfort and compassion.  I've felt His reassurances "Brigette, I am your refuge and strength; your very present help in trouble.  Brigette, I will go before you and be with you.  I will NEVER leave you nor forsake you.  Brigette, seek Me and I will deliver you from all your fears..."

Let me share these Truths with you.  

Now, go ahead and grab a firm hold onto these Truths!  Got 'em?  Now sling them with all your might against the Lies that have been building up inside of you.  

Be comforted by God's love.

Be reassured by His presence.

And keep your head up for all those messages He is sending your way.  

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I would like to share some exciting news.  Remember all the "gain outta pain" stuff from several blog-posts ago?  No?  Well, I'm pretty sure I said something like:  "suffering often creates a space for opportunity".  I've seen it constantly where people find their path/ their meaning / their destiny, if you will, through or after a tragedy or a trial.   

Well, this Word-Nerd has had a secret dream of being a Speaker.  And God has plopped several opportunities right down into my lap.

"Thank-you, God!"

I am so humbled to have been asked to speak at an up-coming Women's Conference and then an Encouragement Cafe put on by the Christian Counselling Centre.  Also, 100 Huntley Street - a Christian daily tv show - will be interviewing me on Oct. 24 at 9:30am, asking me to share.....

God came alongside me and my family during our hard times with cancer, during our hard times with mental illness.  

He gave comfort upon comfort.  

And before I knew it, he was bringing me alongside others who were going through hard times.....it is my honour to share some Comfort.

I want to pass it on.

bvh

"Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always."  

- Psalm 105: 4