Friday, June 28, 2013

In between

I haven't always lived here, in this in between place, where the paradox of faith rubs friction against the realities of life.  We grow up - into complexities far above our heads and wrapped around the fabric of our lives and our world - and in spite of this, or because of this, we are invited to turn back our hearts to the simplicity of a child's faith while we continue forward in this place in between.  

I live in this place in between knowing Why or How; between Black and White; between Then, Now and Not Yet. 

And I read these words today, at the prompting of a dear friend, and they, too, leap out from a place in between two worlds:

"For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, 
above strength, 
so that we despaired even of life.  
Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves,  
that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead."  
~ 2 Corinthians 1:8-9

I live here, too.

Burdened beyond measure, above strength, and honestly? Some days despairing even of life in a quiet, hidden way.

And it's here, in these ancient words, in this place between life and death, a flicker of light shines through the cracks of my faith.  

That we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead.

The dead of our hearts.  The dead of our circumstances.  The dead of our dreams, of our relationships, of our health, of our hopes.

Here, in this in between, I reach the end of myself and I wait, in growing hope, for the God who raises the dead.  And here, I awe.

He will come to you; he will come to me.  

He will come and raise the dead.





Joining Lisa Jo today and the Five Minute Friday writers.  This post, again, is hardly the product of five minutes, but I love the prompt today. 

10 comments:

  1. Beautiful! Stopping by from FMF. Blessings on your weekend!

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    1. Thank you for stopping by, Katharine :-) Blessings back at you!

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  2. Simply - powerfully - gorgeous! I am so thankful that the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead, dwells in my mortal body and yes - He comes... He comes to raise the dead in all of us! Praying for you today - stopping by from Lisa Jo's!

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    1. Amen... so thankful, too, Karrilee. I am touched by your stopping by here and blessing me with your words and your prayers.

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  3. what a thoughtful reflection. thank you for shedding new light on what have become very shopworn verses. i can honestly say i've never thought about what it means for God to raise dead hopes, circumstances, dreams, etc. you've given me new eyes today, Amber.

    oh, and that pic at the end? i want it. seriously.

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    1. I love it when God does that. You bless me, friend.

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  4. Thank you for showing that our God can raise the dead, not only in body, but also in circumstances, dreams, relationships, etc. Beautiful. And true. He raised the dead in every one of those areas for me. I know He will do the same for you, in His time. He cannot be anything but faithful. Thanks again for sharing so openly. Love, love.

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    1. Thank you for sharing, Caroline, and amen! So grateful he cannot be anything but faithful...

      And thank you for being here.

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  5. Your words are so beautiful, but I understand the hurt behind them. Funny how such pain can hide behind such beauty, the stark hard bench velveted by the beauty of the landscape. The bench is no less hard, but the vision of beauty around it makes its hardness a bit more bearable. I love you Amber. May the knowledge of distant beauty soften the hard places of where you sit today.

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  6. Dear Amber, I too have known these painful in between places that feel unending, and I am praying for you right now. And proclaiming with you -- that this Lazarus raiser, this tomb emptier, this triumphant God -- is with you in places of sorrow and longing and uncertainty, and he is making all things new. May you know the depths of his love today. I love you so much, friend.

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