Tuesday, December 16, 2014

a wedding anniversary




                       this week I celebrate an anniversary of sorts...
                               a wedding anniversary in a sense...
                                     an anniversary with my 
                                       forever bridegroom...
                                                              Jesus

                                                     to some this might sound strange
                                              perhaps even heretical to others
                                        for how can one have a wedding anniversary
                                  with the Creator of the universe?

                            Isaiah 61:10 says
                      "I delight greatly in the LORD;
                              my soul rejoices in my God.
                       For He has clothed me with garments of salvation
                              and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,
                       as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest
                              and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels"
                                         and Isaiah 62:5 says
                                                  "...as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride,
                                                      so will your God rejoice over you"
                                  and Isaiah 54:5 says
                                       " For your Maker is your husband -
                                              the LORD Almighty is His name -
                                         the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer;
                                              He is called the God of all the earth..."




                                        3 years ago Jesus delivered me from chains...
                                               chains of self-pity
                                                      chains of blindness to how I was hurting
                                                             those I love most
                                                                  and to the chains of anorexia...
                                                            none of which was possible until
                                                      Jesus opened my eyes 
                                                and I was willing to see
                                           and able to accept that He loves me because.
                                    end of story.
                             just because.

                                    once able to see myself as reflected in His eyes
        repentance and grace and love and forgiveness and acceptance all collided
                                          at the foot of His cross
                                                    the collision not without pain
                                                               for how can repentance...
                                                                   (turning around)
                                                                     happen without pain?
                                                              yet once He took my heart... 
                                                        broken and bruised and bleeding...
                                                 and held it close to His own heart which was
                                            broken and bruised and bleeding for my heart...
                                  it was then that the depth and intimacy of
                                     His love for me and my love for Him
                                         came rushing over me as water cascades over
                                              waterfalls
                                                  as waves ceaselessly crash onto shore...
                                                        a forever love with a bridegroom forever

                                            I am His and He is mine
                                       no longer do I search with heart empty
                                for approval       
                                for acceptance
                                                       simply because.
                                                       simply because He loves me
                                                             with all the passion of a bridegroom
                                                                     and more

                                          Jesus took all the above...
                                          Jesus took the years of help from His own
                                                                 who walked this journey with me...
                                                  Jesus took ME
                                                        and anorexia was removed forever
                                                               thoughts once all consuming
                                                                           gone...
                                                                 washed away in His love as
                                                           water cascades over waterfalls
                                                       waves crash onto shore

                                             at times this heart forgets...
                                                  forgets where she was and who she was
                                                        3 short years ago...
                                                        compared to how far He has brought her

                                                  and looking forward                  
                                  with anticipation to where He has yet to bring her...
                             still refining her and renewing her
                        for the journey to wholeness and intimacy with Him 
                    ends not until she sees her bridegroom forever face to face

                             and all because of the One who loves her



2 comments:

  1. Julie, this is beautiful! You are an inspiration and I am so grateful that our paths crossed! Love to you sweet friend!

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  2. Wow! Very deep and a wonderful reminder of who we really are only because of Jesus. Great photos, too. Please keep sharing!

    ReplyDelete