Transformational Thought
My little granny turned 90 years old last January. Good thing she doesn’t get the Internet or she would be angry with me sharing this embarrassing information. One thing I love about her is she still gets to the Russian Orthodox Church (where I was baptized as an infant), twice a month to crank out 6000 perogies with her gnarled hands, rheumatoid mis-shaped hands. You see, deep fried perogies is my most favorite food … followed closely by homemade ice cream.
My granny is the dough master. For you non-cooks, the dough master has the most physically grueling task when making perogies. Granny keeps waiting for some young buck to learn her secret before she dies, but none of the younger women have the stamina to do what 90 year old granny cranks out. Perogies are a classic example of the final product being way better than the sum of the ingredients, and it is because of the talent of the cook. Think about alchemy, the ancient practice of combining common, cheap substances and transforming them into something of value. One who practices Alchemy is called an Alchemist.
So many of us suffer from the belief that we have nothing of value to share with others … or with our God. We feel we are a waste. But nothing is wasted when you share it with Your Lord. He can bring beauty out of the ashes of broken or lost dreams. He can turn the darkness of your worst failures into bright beauty and hope. He can glean joy out of sorrow … peace out of adversity. Your God, the Master Chef, delights in blending His love, grace and forgiveness with our pride, sin and failures. He transforms His children from sinful wretches into wonderful disciples.
Today, bring your sorrow, sadness and brokenness to God. Release them into his care and keeping. He will not only heal your brokenness … He will give you a new dream – one that is in perfect harmony with His plans for you. To do this, give up one of your “needs” and instead, depend on His promises. As you begin to work with Him bringing this fresh new dream to reality, you will find yourself becoming more and more content, and increasingly aware of His beautiful presence seeping into all the nooks and crannies of your life. Only your best friend, the King of Kings, could accomplish this Divine Alchemy.
Prayer
Dear Father, I am so blessed to call You my friend. I pray to You, Father, that You help me share more and more of my life with You. I believe that You, and only You, can bring beauty out of my lost dreams … out of my sorrow. I confess, Father, that as I try to bring my junk to You for transformation I get stuck in self-pity … in my brokenness and in my struggles. Help me bring all these things to You so that You can place on me a crown of beauty instead of ashes. I know You are the Divine Alchemist. I pray this and all prayers in the name of the One who needed no alchemy to shine His glory, Jesus Christ; and all God’s children say – AMEN!
The Truth
He has sent me to bind the brokenhearted … and provide for those who grieve in Zion – to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.
Isaiah 61:2-3
Jesus looked at them and said; “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Matthew 19:26