“Oh, Isn’t It Just Like God”
Blog by Kristen Hicks
Mind. Blown.
My most favorite stories in life, at times, are the ones I can’t tell you about. They are the stories that haven’t fully happened yet. The ones that are full of hope and fueled by faith. The ones that the outcome is solely dependent upon the Lord coming through— in and through them. The ones unseen to everyone else around me—sometimes I can just feel it, sometimes I can just see it on the horizon, sometimes I just know. Not because of any preconceived notion, I know because of who God is—because of what His heart is like and what He has promised. These are the stories that start with scary prayers. There is no plan B.
Redemption.
This is the word that keeps coming to my mind. Sometimes, I’m not sure we understand this word until we are right smack dab in the middle of living it—until we realize just how much we need Jesus, that we can’t do it on our own; we cannot redeem ourselves.
Redemption is the process of restoration. You cannot be truly restored until you first have been redeemed.
To be redeemed, a price must be paid. Freedom isn’t FREE. I don’t ever want to get over that—I never want to misinterpret it or take it for granted. That’s what makes the gospel so incredibly powerful, yet vulnerable. It’s a love story. A story of pursuit. That nothing, NOTHING can stand against LOVE and His BRIDE. Nothing can come between. Nothing can separate. The price isn’t too high! The war is worth waging! No sin too great!
He births beauty from ashes. He makes ALL things new. He heals.
I found myself this morning, realizing this truth, this reality of His heart in my life. Tears filled my eyes as I began to reflect on story after story, of how I found myself in a situation— in a struggle— and then in a timing that only an all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present, Creator of ALL things, can do, He busted into my life and He simply redeemed. He restored—and He continues to do so. What blew my mind even more, is how many times I could count, that He would come through down to an exact day. The details never go unnoticed to Him. There is rhyme, reason and rhythm to everything He does.
He has never once stopped His pursuit. It is unfailing. Even when, I disobey, even when I mess up, even when it takes me one thousand times to get it right. He continues to call, He continues to woo, He continues to teach, to stretch, to mold, to move. He calls Himself LOVE and that love is unconditional, but it isn’t over-looking. It isn’t blind. It doesn’t look the other way. No, that kind of misrepresentation doesn’t exist in Him. No, His love is fierce, ruthless, reckless, relentless, wild, jealous. It takes our mess-ups, our short-comings, our neglected, over-compensated, disappointed, messy hearts and lives and creates a masterpiece. One that is rare— it has never been seen or heard of. An original.
This is a gift, not a right, not an obligation. It is simply a proposal. One of Holy matrimony. One of true beauty, grace, purity and freedom. And as He gets on one knee, with the biggest grin on His face, and the sparkle of a million stars in His eyes…He asks. And with one word, flowing off the tip of my tongue, my whole world turns completely upside down…YES!!!
That was all He was looking for. That was all He wanted. With a jolt of joy, I find myself being overtaken into a dance with Him. One of courage and confidence. He spins me around and around, unraveling me from every fear and lie that has tried to define and cripple me. He leans me into a dip and without hesitation I surrender to Him. Trusting Him, not only with my soul, but with my heart, with my whole being. The more we dance the more I learn the steps to His ways; I am completely undone by Him. This isn’t just a night to remember. It’s not just a moment that takes my breath away. This is how it was always meant to be. This is His heart. This is His intention. This is redemption!
“Oh, isn’t it just like God, to turn our disappointment into a dance floor.”
-Amanda Cook