Tag: beauty from ashes

Trials

Pressure

meghanewhite

There’s a tiny deejay in my head playing random songs whenever he feels like it, or when my memory gets triggered. “Under Pressure” by David Bowie and Queen has been popping into my head for months now. My husband and I are in a very difficult season filled with so much uncertainty. When Tom is having a bad day because of kidney failure and dialysis, which are most days, my fears confront me and I feel the squeeze of life and bam, “Under Pressure” is on repeat in my mind.

In those overwhelming moments I have a choice to make. Do I cave under the pressure and let it crush me? Or do I rest in God and let Him shape me? Let me tell ya, many times I want to hide and run away, but that’s not a good option. There is only one way out of this, walking right through it. One day at a time, one step at a time. This is a challenge for me. I get impatient, and want God to fix it all now. He is God, and I am not.

Pressure can be a good thing.

Diamonds are formed under intense heat and pressure about one hundred plus miles below the Earth’s surface. It takes high temperatures and high pressure to form diamond crystals from carbon. These diamonds were brought to the surface from volcanic eruptions a long time ago. All this extreme pressure and heat created something so stunningly beautiful and strong.

Every time the pressure is too great for me is an opportunity to go to God. The pressure of suffering is too much for me to handle on my own. If I want relief I must run to my Father. He is faithful to encourage me, strengthen me, and carry me. This extreme pressure is not meant to destroy me, it is meant to change me. God is shaping my faith and my character through the fire of suffering.

I would never ask God to sign me up for suffering. However, if I never dealt with adversity, I would never experience the goodness of God. I would just rely on myself and be a selfish, terrible person. God wants my heart and He is refining it. So I surrender to the pressure, as painful as that is at times. For my God is making me strong and beautiful in Him, like a diamond.

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given to us. Romans 5:3-5, NIV

Are you under intense pressure right now? Is the weight of your problem crushing you? There is hope. God loves you and wants to help you. Cry out to Him. If you have not placed your faith in Jesus Christ, today would be a great day to change that. Do not give up.

Love you all,

Meghan

grief

The Compassion of Jesus

meghanewhite

img_6507There is no end to the love and compassion of Jesus for the hurting. He still acts the same today as He did two-thousand years ago. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. No one has the amount of compassion that Jesus does, and as His kids we get the benefit of that compassion. It’s unbelievable to experience the love of Jesus through His compassion. What an amazing Savior!

A beautiful illustration of Jesus’ compassion is when He healed the widow’s son. It’s just another example of His many miracles that appear in the middle of an ordinary event, yet it was all part of God’s perfect plan.

Jesus Raises a Widow’s Son

11 Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. 12 As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.” Luke 7:11-13, NIV 

Jesus stopped everything to help this hurting woman. She had already lost her husband, and now her only son was dead. This poor woman had twice the pain and heartache, and Jesus saw her. His heart went out to her, even though He was surrounded by a large crowd, probably wanting His help. Jesus had compassion on the widow.

It does not say she had been praying and asking God for a miracle. Maybe she was asking for a miracle, we don’t know, but God intervened. There was a perfect meeting between Jesus and the widow at the exact perfect time. Jesus felt her pain. His loving words, “Don’t cry,” say it all. 

It gets even better.

14 Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” 15 The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. Luke 7:14-15, NIV 

Jesus touched the coffin (bier) with His mighty power and brought the young man back to life. In an instant the widow, and all the mourners, went from sorrow to celebration. He brought life from death, joy from sadness. Only Jesus can do that. 

It doesn’t end there.

16 They were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.” 17 This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country. Luke 7:16-17, NIV

Because Jesus stopped and helped a hurting widow by bringing her only son back to life, the good news spread. It wasn’t just about helping one person. God can multitask like no one’s business. He can accomplish one million things in a nanosecond. 

Jesus’ heart went out to the widow. In the middle of large crowds of people all clamoring for His attention and help, He saw the widow. Jesus helped a grieving soul with His words of comfort and compassion. And then He performed a great miracle by raising her dead son back to life. 

Jesus’ compassion for the widow changed everything for her. The moment He came on the scene a great miracle happened with one touch. A young man sat up in a coffin, a mom’s heart was filled with joy, and many people learned about this wonderful Jesus. Lives were forever changed.  

Jesus sees you. He knows when you cry. He knows when you are hurting, devastated, and hopeless. He sees, and He knows. His compassion for You is powerful, and life changing, because He loves you and will help you. 

Love you all,

Meghan 

Photo Credit: Meghan E. White