Friday, April 1, 2011

WON! COME!

Two years ago to this very day, frightful words freighted out of an unknown visiting doctor's mouth.  A train wrecked in my heart, and I dropped to the feet of my husband and sobbed on his wing-tipped shoes, and I faced my own mortality.  A grim diagnosis of cancer, metastasized.  A flagrant miss on my last mammogram.  Unnoticed by the radiologist.  So noticed by a Good God, not a Grandfather God, but a very Good God Who is always out for doing us good, no matter what.  Jeremiah 33:20---I mean, when was the Last Time that the Sun didn't set or dawn at the right time?  When is the Last Time God refused to be good to me and to you?  My life so wants to tell of the Goodness of God!

Two years down the road and my hand is over my mouth in awe.  I used to have a lot more words, loads of loquacious complaint yet worship and grimace yet gratitude.  But this anniversary, I'm all silenced.  You see, my circumstances have esoterically gone*haywire*awry*languor*imbroglio* 

Struggling for petrichor---the smell of the earth after rain.  Psalm 27:13-14
Struggling for panacea---the solution to at least one of the problems we face. 2 Chron 20:12
Struggling for peace---not offense, blessed are you when you are Not.Offended.by.God. Luke 7:22
Struggling for my place in this worn world---advancing Good News that Christ can be formed in you and you and you. Gal 4:19

Fast Forward to Revelations...
Peruse and Peer and Peek into Eternity---what do we hear there? Rev. 19: 6-8 Hallelujah! Rejoice and Be Glad. Give Him Glory! For the Wedding of the Lamb has come and His Bride has made herself ready! So how are we doing making ourselves ready? 

If we call Him LORD, we'll be doing the right things. But if I make my aim:  Great marriage, successful ministry, awesome kids, fulfilling friendships...wait! That's not what is being proclaimed in Eternity. What is being proclaimed in Revelations 19 is twofold:  Won!  Come!
1. The Final Victory has already been WON! Christ Jesus accomplished His Plan and reigns forever!
2. The Marriage Supper of the Lamb has COME! We have been invited to the Wedding, in truth, you are the Bride. You stand scarlet no more. Your sins are gone. You stand before your Groom, pure and holy as He!

We are not singing a song that we've done it! That our children turned out great! Or, here's our successful ministries planted in Your Name! Or even, my marriage was awesome! Look what I did with my life! No. No. We are singing His Praises from way-down-deep gratitude for lives lived in His Presence, by His Power that changed us and made us who we are walking down the aisle.

And with my hand over my mouth, I kneel this night to close this hard cancer anniversary in surrender to a very Good God.  With Reticence and Rest, I come to find Strength and Power to move out in Life and Love, not counting my way-too-many sorrows, but counting on the opportunities to bring others with me. I hear His Words that He has spoken to me and they are for you too.  Deut 32:47.  No idle words, they are our very life!  Whatever is not of the Attitude of my Christ, Phil 3:15, reveal where I've forgotten, where I've failed, where I faint.  Let me be more "taken" with Your Love than with my failures. With Your Hand of Grace on our Shoulders, and by Your Unbelievable Power, we will change it and truly live.  Not in our own Energy, but in yours, Col 1:29, the Energy of Christ so powerfully at work in you and me.

Blessed are those not.offended.in.God.  Luke 7:22.
In the corridors of truth, may I not miss the Mystery, a liminal place between two threshholds of time.  Today and Eternity.  We will throw all this sempiternal stuff down before the God-Who-Sees-All. Gen. 21:19.   Lay down the doings this day.  There's a Larger Story than just my little life of securing steady work and leaving legacies and growing gardens and fighting foes and creating children and daring to dream.  Doesn't mean we ever stop doing good.  Just says that in Eternity, we will be singing His Praises not our own, no matter what!

Ann Voskamp, http://www.aholyexperience.com/  writes on her blog about the She Speaks Conference in North Carolina.  Ann is offering a random scholarship for one Judges 6:12 mighty warrior like Gideon who was scared stiff in his story but so wanting to serve.  Oh, may our Good God use us to birth stories of service and grace.  I am in the pains of childbirth that Christ be formed in me and in you! Gal. 4:19.

These women,  http://shespeaksconference.com/, are conduits of composing this Psalm 45:1 kind of offer for writers, speakers, and ministry leaders. We all only have this moment, this life to leave a legacy, make a mark, reach out with redemptive rhetoric. If you've held tightly any thoughts of writing and speaking and ministering in leadership, then check out Lysa TerKeurst's blog http://lysaterkeurst.com/ and meet an amazing woman who is a "minister of the Word" (Luke 1:2). Titus 1:1 says that we are all servants of the Word of God for the faith of His People and the Knowledge of the Truth that leads to changed lives---that Christ be formed in many mighty warriors!

10 comments:

Mary Lou 4/02/2011  

Bev, I would much rather read your words or hear you speak on what God has taught you and from the places He has taught you than to hear of a successful ministry or how well your children turned out etc. The truth you have lived out in front of us is much stronger and resonates much clearer than a successful ministry, good children, great marriage. I am speaking from my heart. I just had a worship experience reading your words. I pray the Lord will open a door for you to go to this She Speaks Conference...that He will work all of the details out. He truly is working ALL things for your good, for you are called of Him and you so love Him.

annette 4/02/2011  

Authenticity. It's not all perfect, but in the middle of it, we find His goodness. You do testify so passionately of your Good God who sees, who carries. I agree with Mary Lou--He feels so much more accessible to hear your testimony in the middle of the difficulties. Not about the victories but about the joys even when...Celebrating your life with you two years later.

Holly 4/02/2011  

Amen, my dear friend. And again? I see the nod of God over your life. I hear His Well Done. You display Him well. Perhaps Act 3 is over and Act 4 will usher in a lighter season from this one. I pray it. But if not, YOU will still display Him. I know it. You honor Jesus well. Did you get my text from yesterday from Streams in the Desert? If not, let me know and I will copy them for you in email.

Love,
holly

Bev Brandon @ The Fray 4/02/2011  

Mary Lou, I've never laid eyes on you, never heard your voice. But you, my blogging friend, have touched deep places in my heart! Praying for you in your own dark place where you so splendidly honor Him!
Humble thanks!

Bev Brandon @ The Fray 4/02/2011  

Annette, for God to allow me to meet a blogger like you on the side of the road in Houston, actually @The Starbucks, can only be explained in terms of God! You mean more to me "than tongue can tell." Many years ago Thomas Chisholm wrote "The Love of God" ... "The love of God is greater far, Than tongue or pen can ever tell. I know His Love because of you.

Bev Brandon @ The Fray 4/02/2011  

Humble, Happy, Holy Holly---I can say it on my blog without anyone making fun of my words. You are! I invited you, a blogger, into my heart and home having never met you and having NO IDEA what God would bring to me through you. So deep, so powerful. Love! No I didn't see the Streams text on my smart phone. Not too smart of phone or could be the user. Please text again! Love you so much!

twinkle 4/02/2011  

Bev, I love what you said:

"We will be singing His Praises not our own, no matter what."

Your words are soul-deep. He is at work in your life.

Bev Brandon @ The Fray 4/02/2011  

Twinkle Twinkle *****
thank you to someone who pulls God out of me, even by the way you live and love and suffer...
you're one amazing woman!
you encouraged me this week
like you will never know...
Love Love *****

Nise' 4/04/2011  

Your life has touched mine and I will thank our Lord for "introducing" us.

Jon 6/20/2011  

Dear Bev,

Just discovered your webpages while looking for references to "Promotion comes from the Lord" (Psalm 75:4) and find some wonderful insights. You have found ways of expressing deep revelations and recasting them in ways that are word reflecting deeply on - thank you.

How impressive to hear the words of our Master Jesus say "I've won, now come!"

Jon

(PS: Hope you are ok with a fella from Australia reading your blog, not sure if it's the done thing! Will have to revist sometime soon...)

Praying for Our Friend Joanne Psalm 131:3 Waiting on God. Hope Now. Hope Always.

House of Blessing Tribal Childrens Home

House of Blessing Tribal Childrens Home
"Whoever welcomes a little child in My Name, welcomes Me." Matthew 18:5 We have posted pictures of the orphans receiving their gifts from you. Scroll down to the post entitled "Today Was the Big Day." Many orphans didn't own anything of their own, but now do, because of you.

My Family

My Family
Britt, Blair, Bev, Bob, Brooke, Barrett

Contact

I've met some amazing women through blogging. I would love to hear from you. My personal e-mail is:
sixbrandons@gmail.com
I have another blog where I blog daily as a small group of us read through the New Testament this year. It's called A String of Pearls. We carry each other on mats (when we just can't walk anymore) to Jesus and sweet things like that.

Followers

My Blog List

Search This Blog

FEEDJIT Live Traffic Feed

Site Meter

Especially Designed for Bev by

Photobucket

  © Free Blogger Templates 'Photoblog II' by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008