Madi's World

I was digging through some stacks of paper this afternoon attempting to weed through the scraps and come up with enough recyclables to start a fire.  Madi's World slipped between my fingers and my eyes rested on it with a smile. I don't remember which day it was carefully crafted, but my eyes welled up with tears.



My world hasn't felt like this lately. The clouds have been thick - in the sky and in my brain and the tears and rain have fallen easily. The flowers have started to wilt and almost anything that was green is now covered with brown, crunchy leaves. I'm digging hard to find the blue sky. And the sunshine?? It seems far, far away.

The truth is I've thought a lot about this world lately; the world I live in - the one I'm raising my children in. The one where people die too young, where friends get diagnosed with cancer and where gunmen walk around slaughtering people like they're playing a real-life video game.  This world where our hopes and dreams come crashing down around us and everyone just seems to keep on keeping on.

I'm aching for the aching and I'm crying out to the only one who can heal this broken world.

"During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him." Hebrews 5:7-9

Our perfect source of eternal salvation. He suffered, by choice. He was crushed, by choice. He submitted, by choice. He knows this pain, because He chose to.

He came to show us he knows. He came to show us he sees. He came to show us he feels us. He came so that He can be near in our suffering. He came so that He could be our source of eternal salvation. He came so that the sunshine will be here again someday. He came so that the clouds will part and He will appear! He came so that the world will flourish again one day. He came so that we could all be made new!

"And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. He who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making everything new!' Then he said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." Revelation 21:3-5

I'm longing for the day when Madi's World is my reality. I'm longing for the day when this pain will no longer be remembered. I'm longing for a day when the sunshine will be the glory of the Lord and the sky will never, ever grow cloudy.

Thank you, sweet girl, for the reminder.