Tag: Soli Deo Gloria Sisterhood

un(flinching): staying strong and determined even when things are difficult

Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.     (2 Corintians 4:10 NLT)

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“Lord, help us to see in your Crucifixion and Resurrection an example of how to endure and seemingly die in the agony and conflict of daily life, so that we may live more fully and creatively.” (Mother Teresa)

I wish I could say that my life is marked by unflinching faith and unshaken devotion to God’s will. But then I would be telling an untruth. It is my goal to stay strong and determined during difficult times, but honest reflection shows me that my heart is often unyielding. I just want to push through the hard stuff to alleviate my pain.

This weekend, we celebrated my father-in-law’s life. He was a steady man. And a faithful husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He modeled love and servant-hood to his four sons, and they in turn love and serve their families and others with the same unflinching compassion of their father.

I want to be more like each of them, because frankly each one of them is a lot like the Good Shepherd that led their father. They embrace the suffering of daily life with pragmatism and creativity. And I appreciate this about the Rohlf clan.

My husband and I took a walk on Saturday to enjoy the spring like weather, to pause before an evening of being with family, reminiscing and preparing for the memorial service on Sunday. His foot slipped and the next thing we knew he was on his back. He lie there unflinching, checking his own elbow; stabilizing it on his own. In the meantime, I frantically left him with a kind stranger, so I could get our car to transport him to urgent care.

He has been enduring the pain with much decorum and some pain medicine, but he is the epitome of this “un” word. Oh, he gets frustrated and says bad words, just like me, but overall, he steadily trusts God.

And he helps me to look for the calm in the midst of life’s storms. Jesus shines through the dark clouds of our difficulty as the ray of  my husband’s familiar smile greets me, as we moved from appointment to appointment today to prepare for elbow repair surgery. Through Les’ suffering, Jesus’ life radiates through him. I am grateful to be a recipient of this unflinching love.

 

Linking with Soli Deo Gloria Sisterhood

Posted on by kelrohlf 10

un(inhibited): able to express thoughts and feelings freely

With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ’s being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2 The Message)

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On Monday, I returned to the Botanical Gardens. One of the benefits of garden membership includes the annual orchid show. I love the uninhibited beauty displayed by these floral messengers. The orchids pictured above reminded me that in Christ, my face unabashedly reflects His glory.

In this world of dark clouds, broken lives and certain death, we can glimpse the glory that was exchanged on that fateful day in another garden. That God would unconditionally offer Himself to us, fills me with indescribable joy.

I want to be like the orchids, uninhibited by shame. Jesus promises fresh life in the Spirit, where condemnation gives way to confirmation. A new way of living with and through His indwelling Spirit is available to us today and forever.

The marks of  brokenness and our physical end may still haunt us, but He lifts us up.

And if we dare to look into His eyes, we will see reflected there a new and different person than we ever dared to imagine.

We are His delightful children. We are of more value than all the tropical beauties on display at the botanical gardens. He will feed us. Clothe us. And quench our thirsts with Living Water. Unending life is obtainable . . . now and into eternity!

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Posted on by kelrohlf 7