Joy in the Holding

Daily Gratitude Year 6- Day 165: Today, I am grateful for joy comes in the holding.

We live in a broken world. We live in a world where lies abound and it is hard to find what is real. So many are lonely, lost and hurting. Many find themselves living on the edge financially, spiritually and emotionally. It is hard to breathe.

"Joy doesn't come when you are trying to hold it all together. Joy comes when you let go and let God hold you." 

What a powerful and true statement. Letting go of what we thought it would be and embracing what it is. It is what it is... but this moment isn't the end. There is nothing more intimate than turning to our God with our naked hurts, griefs and brokenness to discover all he is is beauty in our ashes. He doesn't even see our failures as final. His peace pours over us and into us when we show up at his... tear stained and tattered... ready to say, "I can't do this alone. I need you, Lord, I need you." 

He allowed his disciples storms and then he calmed them. He allowed them to question him. He would answer... but not always with words or what they expected. He would often tell parables... stories with lessons... to make sure they would not miss the point. Don't we all love a good story?

We can wrap ourselves in His Word and be held. We can cry out in prayer and be held. We can sit, breathe in and feel the Holy Spirit wrap us in faithful arms of love. 

Earworm is singing this morning, "Held", by Natalie Grant. A piece of the lyrics:

"This is what it means to be held
How it feels when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive
This is what it is to be loved
And to know that the promise was
When everything fell we'd be held."
Good choice, Earworm. 

The strangest part of the supernatural love of our awesome God is that in our darkest moments, he becomes even more real. Very, very real. We run to him... or away from him. He is our anchor... and the anchor holds. 

Today, I am grateful for joy comes in the holding.