There was a speaker at the assembly last month who took a risk. As part of the plenary, she described her relationship with God. She compared herself to Mary Magdalene, and her own scary descent into hell. The cloud of shame was dense, and her loss of self-worth ran deep. The timing of her break down was eerily similar to the one her mother went
through. The perfect life she had known dissolved, and she was trapped in her own bleak hole.
But God did not forget her. He offered footholds for her to climb back to the light. Now she is more grateful than she was before her own implosion. She loves her husband, her children, her grandchildren, and her God. She understands what it feels like to be forgiven, and to forgive.
When she was preparing her talk, she started with a few
ideas of what to say. Then God reassured her.
"I'll take it from here."
Which He did.
She did not realize when she sat down, that people behind her had jumped to their feet, clapping and crying. Her message had moved us. The
video of this session will continue to reach people who struggle with not feeling
worthy.
Probably if someone had told her forty years ago, that all would be well, she might not have believed them. It turns out, that Someone did.
"I will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up,
And have not let
my foes rejoice over me.
O Lord my God, I cried out to You,
And You healed me.
O Lord, You brought my soul up from the grave;
You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.
Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.
For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for life;
Weeping may endure for a night,
But joy
comes in the morning...
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,
To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent." Psalm 30
