I almost died once, actually not even once, three times to be specific. After nearly dying that often, it gets someone thinking…
After having a gas tank nearly explode on you, you inhale and start thinking, life is fragile.
After almost having a tree land directly on you, you look up and start thinking there’s a reason God hasn’t taken you yet.
After doing vehicular twirls on an interstate, you start thinking God has some things prepared by offering another hour on earth.
Not to be deathly morbid,
but aren’t we all just a hair away from dying?
We are either dead or alive. Can’t be both.
And with all this death talk, it gets me contemplating the difference:
Death is numbing yourself.
It’s blinding self.
Hiding self.
Minimizing self.
Maximizing self.
Rationalizing self.
Guarding self.
Proving self.
Making things all about self.
Overexerting self.
Indulging self.
Starving self.
Admiring self.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ro. 6:23
But death never represents real life.
Present life is like:
Stripping ones self,
Or removing the sandpaper edges that rub people raw,
Or the fragmented wood planks that stick out of hardened eyes,
Or softening the 20-inch layers of callous that keep love buried.
We don’t nearly equate these kinds of things with life. Because sometimes life breaks us, shreds us and leaves us in torn strips.
Yet, to be stripped is to become equipped with new life.
As the scales fall, new and supple skin emerges. It is pure, soft, pliable and empowered with complete nourishment to hike the trail headed to the far sunset of God’s predestined calling.
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,
which God prepared in advance for us to do. Eph. 2:10
It is called abundant life.
Not abundant health.
No abundant wealth.
Not abundant shoes.
Not abundant amusement.
Not abundant pleasure.
Not abundant power.
Not abundant smarts.
Not abundant gratification.
Abundant life, means you go through the fire of removing self
to find the Spirit
who remakes you in the wake of big waves,
big prayers
and big callings.
It means you fall away from self to land softly in Christ’s open arms.
It means you retreat from your instant inclinations to find retreat in God’s quiet persuasions.
It means you find acceptance in Christ instead of annoyance at self in the face of big errors.
It means you walk untouchable as you proceed to heaven – as a bride, undefined, reserved, whole, sealed and renewed.
It means you know you have more than enough, even if, by the worlds standards you have hardly enough.
It’s life. It’s vision. It’s truth. It’s Hope. It’s discovery and recovery, learning and becoming, traveling and sitting all the same.
It’s more than you ever dreamed of, but all the same, exactly what you never imagined. It is pain, but it is always gain. It is joy, but earned through pain. Real pain. Loud pain. Crying pain. Nailed pain. Tortured pain. Ridiculed pain. Cross-ridden, Christ endured pain that signifies our safe return. A return that proves all will one day be okay, even if the worst does happen.
Because death is really life.
Wow, Kelly, this is a powerful post! It really hit home to differentiate between life and death and the cost of living as one dead to God or alive to Him by faith in Christ. All of it spoke to me and these words especially: “Abundant life, means you go through the fire of removing self to find the Spirit who remakes you in the wake of big waves, big prayers and big callings.”
So inspiring! And I totally agree that the transforming, remaking and reshaping are painful processes. Definitely no pain, no gain. I’m truly blessed to be your neighbour at the #FMF link up!
Life is such a precious gift, and your post resonates with me today because of the Ethics commission that’s happening in D.C. right now. So important for us to value life because it is God’s gift – thank you for pointing out the truth that the pain in life is an opportunity to trust – to “walk untouchable as we proceed to heaven.”
Blessings!
Wow, it sounds like you’ve had quite the adventures! Your are so right, there are many ways that we can allow death to take over, by numbing ourselves. And, there is also hope in death. I loved this line, “Because death is really life.”
Thanks for the passionate reminder not to die by numbing out, but to instead, die to self daily. It’s such a great reminder for starting this day! Wising you a blessed week.
“Whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lords.”
Kellie that goes straight to my heart- reminds me of this scripture – 2 Corinthians 4:7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. –
Thank you for your heart and passion for Christ
Indeed life altering experience illuminate and broaden our perspective. And SEEING, having Jesus like perspective i believe is one of Hesus’ greatest desires for us and I think he confirms that in the many healing of blindness. I love this statement “Abundant life, means you go through the fire of removing self
to find the Spirit
who remakes you in the wake of big waves, big prayers and big callings. All week I’ve been listening to a song by Grace Williams called fire fall and the other day Abby wrote about smothering the fire. Mmm…I’m thanking him for fire falling afresh and for the oxygen of the Holy Spirit to fan the flames. Stay ablaze with his glory sweet friend.
Wow!!! Just wow!!! This is amazing. A real keeper. Sister, after losing my son to suicide my life was totally broken and my heart torn in shreds. Only God’s presence in my life has carried me through it and brought me to His perfect peace.
Lynette
Powerful words Kelly. So filled with the truth of God. Thanks for sharing. Susan
I didn’t start really living until I went through a season of emotional and mental pain and gave Jesus my all. I knelt at the cross and gave up control. For a control freak, needing an agenda and the outcome I choose, this was a difficult thing. Kelly, as always, God’s words through you inspire me.