26/04/2019
When You Cannot Bear It
I struggled to write this--I really did. No sleep last night. Worried, tired, nerves on the edge. Big sigh!
As the resurrection celebration approaches, I was thinking of the crown of thorns that was rescued from the Notre Dame Cathedral fire. And in my devotions, this story came up in Matthew:
Matt 27:27-31 Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said.They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
I can't imagine how this must have felt.
A crown of sharp thorns, thrust on the head--only to be slammed several times with a stick, digging deep into the scalp to draw blood.
The laughing, spitting, taunting, the extreme disrespect that the soldiers portrayed towards Him.
This HAD to be unbearable. There is no way any of us could understand what this could have felt like. Major blunt trauma times ten.
In the picture above---the flowers on the Crown of Thorns plant looks so beautiful and bright, right? We can easily get distracted by the red velvet petals--and forget the stalks that grow each delicate petal have severe sharp thorns.
Starting a ministry can be like this. Or a new career, relationship, a marriage, a fresh path in life. The crown is glittery, full of diamonds, rubies & emeralds. We are distracted by the beauty! We only notice the color, glamour & the shine it represents--let's put it on!
Purpose. Passion. Provision.
Sometimes we forget that with these blessings will come the crucifixion of the flesh, a dying to self, a sincere sacrifice of time, money and resources. It becomes very painful! After a while we become jaded, feel weary and sometimes just want to throw in the towel.
Burn out gone wild, minds full of stress-- (to finish see link in bio)
