NURTURING YOUR SPIRIT!

Today I was honored to be part of OCOG's first widow's ministry luncheon. I loved listening to the ladies share their stories and loved watching Susan Downie lead with such passion. There was one moment that stood out for me above the rest and I think the reason why is, right before this moment, I received a text from a dear friend that said. "I need some hope" and here's what happened next....Pastor Holly's closing blessing went like this:


NURTURING YOUR SPIRIT Noah - Those Who Have Been Broken
 
This blessing is particularly designed for those of you that have been badly broken. 
The majority of the Scriptural story about Noah is of the building of the ark, the flood, and the one incident after the ark.  But I bless you in becoming like Noah in being able to rebuild after a great destruction.  
Noah had to recover from something damaging in his life -- how would he start over again? 
I bless you with being able to walk as Noah walked.  Because he became accustomed to a very complex society:
-society that had incredible resources
-society that was able to provide the lumber and subcontractors and the 
laborers to build that ark over 120 years
-an economic society, a society that had stores, technology and resources
-he woke up and went to bed in what seemed a "normal", routine life for him
Noah knew he had to gather these resources from different places to do something that he had never done before with building the ark. 
But after the flood, there was nothing but rubbish.  
-after the flood there were no stores
-no economy 
-no other people, no subcontractors to call
But he had the incredible responsibility for laying the foundations for an entirely new culture.  The beginning of a new chapter in human history.  
-Noah had to start over and face the death of millions and billions of people
-the destruction of the Ecosystem
-destruction of human government
-destruction of culture
-destruction of the economic system
Noah only had:
-when he came out of the ark there were a few fledgling plants trying to find 
their way out of the water-logged soil
-the animals and the resources  he brought with them
-his wife, his sons, his sons' wives
-a God who was present 
From that, Noah had to lay the foundations for all the rest of human history - daunting.
Some of you feel that way today.  Some of you look at the brokenness in your life and just want to curl up and quit.  Some of you look around and cannot see even a shred of resource you can use.  The call, the challenge, the demands on your life to put your life together, to rescue your children, to solve the problems around you, to be productive at work - seem absolutely overwhelming when you have nothing else to work with, when you are missing that special someone.
So to you, specifically to you, compassionately to you, I bless you finding within your own spirit and your relationship with Almighty God the resources you need to leverage what you see as the rubbish of your life into the foundation of generations that will follow you.  I bless you with the blessing of Noah: of finding resources where others did not see them, having the wisdom and courage to seize a new opportunity, of being able to partner with a God who has been present in your tragedy, destruction, devastation, transition.  I bless you, I bless you with uncapping the reservoir of resources within your spirit, to become a magnificent builder in a context of your destruction with rubbish as your building materials, partnering with Almighty God.  I bless you hurting friend, I bless you grieving friend, I bless you healing friend, I bless you recovering friend, I bless you victorious daughter of the King in Jesus' name.