Beauty from Ashes

This year for Lent I have been considering whether I wanted to give something up or add something, or even do nothing at all.  Nothing at all seemed not to be my best option since I'm clearly not perfect yet - God is still working on me so I should use this opportunity to let him.

So I decided the area I need the most work is my prayer life.  There's a lot of unknown in my life right now, and prayer is the best way to remind myself to rely on God.  I will be doing a lot of this on my own time and not blogging or facebooking it, but one of the ways I connect with God is when others speak the words of my heart, and all I can do is say "yes. that."  And those moments I will share, in the awareness that my moments may speak to someone else.

I heard this song last night on the radio, and it seemed appropriate for today.  

Even though I don't know what your plan is

I know you make beauty from these ashes.

Today we are reminded that we came from ashes and to ashes we will return.  And yet what beauty God can create with those ashes.  When we feel we bring nothing worth offering, in a sense we are right - on our own.  But God can make beauty from our ashes.  We are not insignificant because God has given us value.  So when all we have to offer is a broken hallelujah, we offer it, because it is all God wants from us.  He can take our brokenness, our fragility, our doubt, our unknowns, and all that feels unworthy in us and he can make it into something beautiful.  Do you know what hallelujah means?  It means "Praise God."  And praise is something we can do, even when we're broken, and it is by praising that we are able to see that, indeed, God is love.

With nothing left to hold onto

I raise these empty hands to you

Here's my broken hallelujah.

It seems so simple, but we need to get out of the way.  We're so busy holding on to the pieces trying to keep anyone from noticing how broken we are.  We hold onto any semblance of control we can muster, and we miss the beauty God has in store if we would just let go and raise empty hands and offer a broken hallelujah.
We don't need to hold on to control because God is holding on to us.  Can you imagine how awkward a hug would be if I'm holding on to a bunch of broken pieces (I imagine broken pottery for some reason) and you try to hug me?  That is what we are doing to God when we hold on to our brokenness, but when we let go, we can hug back, and we can be healed.

When all is taken away, don't let my heart be changed

Let me always sing Hallelujah

When I feel afraid, don't let hope be erased

Let me always sing Hallelujah

No matter what our circumstances - always we seek to praise and always God can bring beauty from the ashes. Amen.