July 2, 2020
The Messy, Beautiful Middle
How lovely is your dwelling place,
Lord Almighty!
My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.
Even the sparrow has found a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,
Lord Almighty, my King and my God.
Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
they are ever praising you.
Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
they make it a place of springs;
the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
They go from strength to strength,
till each appears before God in Zion.
Psalm 84:1-7 NIV
There is nothing like a worship session in Love and Freedom house. Since quarantine began, it’s been happening every day. Their voices echo off the walls, a newness permeates. This is not the end of her story, nor is it the beginning. This is the messy, beautiful middle of it all. This is home for now, family forever. What seems like an eternity living within these walls will end in a moment- life is still ahead. Redemption is happening right now. Restoration is forever the melody of her life. We may never know the depths of her pain, but we can come alongside her as wounds heal and eyes brighten. She is becoming whole again.
This is the hope of nations: Jesus. Where does her hope come from? Jesus. He is the one behind it all, in it all, forever at her side. He does what he wants, and he desires freedom and healing. There is nothing we can do to stop it, no mistake we make will derail His redemption. It’s between Jesus and her, no matter how hard we try to wedge ourselves into the middle. He loves her with a fiery, all consuming, gentle, and passionate love. We certainly cannot get in the way of His plans.
