From Woodstock up: The Journey

Whole hearted Sacrifice: Can anything separate you from the love of God?

God has my whole hearted utter devotion. And He has caused my vineyard to be fruitful with blessings upon home and hearth, our land and our family. Even the work he gave us to do was blessed and fruitful. The heartaches have come from those little foxes who sneak in to steal that peace from my vineyard, bringing the sorrows of this world. When my adult child struggles with their health, or job, or relationship I patiently hear them out and try to minister the peace of Jesus and the truth of Gods fearless love. But sorrows do come and must be overcome in this world just as Jesus promised He has overcome the world.

We literally have a little fox who lives in our creek area behind us. He is red, cute, delightful and very welcome to stay. Another fox was killed in the road a while back so I pray this little guy will be protected. In a similar way, though my child brings little foxes with him because he lives in this world, I welcome him and nurture him. I hope to tame and train out any unhealthy impulses to handle life ineffectively; not to push him out or away.  I know there are dangers that come with both the literal and the figurative fox. (Thankfully we don’t keep chickens!) And Jesus hand feeds those other little foxes so our vineyard will not be destroyed. He has got us covered!

But then there was the fox that didn’t make it. I had one of those too and it either kills you or makes you wiser and stronger. When an accident took the life of my young son, I chose to accept the loss bravely and make my crippled life a living sacrifice, wholly unto God. Because God must be Himself and He hates sin and satan but loves justice, He accepted me and used me in the wisest way He could. He knows how to make meanings out of loses and breath life into loses. He made me a counselor giving life and hope to women who lost babies through abortion. I could do this because I had been given the gift of a vision of my son in heaven when he died. Like a near death experience, I could see him on the other side as I was a witness to his passing.

I have also seen God breathe life into a Veteran, wounded and spent, willing he had died and that man now revives the lives of other veterans with his compassionate music; a gift from God given through a man who sought meaning from his pain.

Loss is a gift to be given back to God and His purposes. That’s what makes it a sacrifice.