Something About Good

Tuesday, March 9, 2010


I've had so much time to think recently, and not so much time to process my thinking, to bring my scattered thoughts to real. But something is coming clear, something about inadequacy, my own God-gifted inadequacy.

The only solid thing that comes to me is this: that God has been very good to me and I have not deserved His goodness.

It is something about having a child whose high needs I can never fully meet. Something about her needing God too - for life, for help, for love, for discipline. It something about a place to begin teaching her of His care for her.



It is something about letting go, and about holding on, an almost-wish that these young, small days would last longer because I cannot get close enough to the smiles, the cooing, the giggles, the uncertainty, the pleas for time with Mama that will just never be enough.



This something is about a really big God. A really, really big God whose wrath is overpower, whose wrath will one day drive those who hate Him to curse His name without repentance. It is something about being held by this God, something about a strong love, eyes that burn like fire, a King on a white horse, a Gospel and a testimony that draws my eyes upward, outward, into Him who is Spirit and not like me.

Have I made Him too small in my need to justify myself, my life, my inadequacy?


It is my inadequacy that teaches me to embrace His power. It is my empty that begs His full. It is my dust that requires His glory.

I see so well where I have failed and where I must not fail. I try so hard to perfect myself, to be unbroken, to do the right thing every time. It is too much for me. I will never be enough. Not for this loving of my children, not for this serving of my powerful God. I can never cover all my bases.

If not for Christ, I would be destroyed. This something I cannot quite describe is at once terrible and comforting. It goes beyond all I have ever known, lives in a realm I cannot finger or photograph, draws me from the daily into the eternal and helps me trust a Person who provided for my redemption from this body of sin.

The uncontrollable pain I own in child-bearing, the transition and change in life that sends me spinning out of my comfort zone, the unrequited longing I know for my husband, time slipping through my fingers like so much sand - these are the gifts of His goodness to me, the painful, beautiful etchings of life under Adam redeemed in Jesus.


I cannot pretend to understand.

I can only be overwhelmed. Only offer up my thanks, wordless thanks that is more than emotion, that draws all of me up into Him, that bows me down before Him, and the eyes of my heart wonder beyond the dim reflection at the mystery that will be no more one day when I behold Him.

I can only taste this goodness that I will never be enough to earn.

...

Shared in the blog carnival hosted at Bridget Chumbley's One Word at a Time today.





(Images © Informal Moments Photography)

16 comments:

Cassandra Frear said...

He planned it this way, you know. It is only we who are still in skin who are surprised.

Maureen said...

". . . It is not possible for Love / to not hear / us, // and whatever happens / the perfect teacher / staged."

~ From To Even Dress in Love Poems from God

Blessings and peace.

Christy said...

This was such a good reminder. How many times I fight the inadequacy instead of turning to Christ for His riches. Thanks for sharing. :-)

Anonymous said...

This is beautiful and thought-provoking. And it is good to see you blogging today. :)

Jo said...

"It is my empty that begs His full. It is my dust that requires His glory."
Yes! That's it!
When I read this, it reminded me a bit of one of my favorite Rich Mullins' songs:
If I stand, let me stand on the promise that You will pull me through. And if I fall, let it be on the grace that first brought me to You.

Traci Michele said...

It is my inadequacy that teaches me to embrace His power. It is my empty that begs His full. It is my dust that requires His glory.


LOVE that! Great post!

Hugs,
Traci

Anne Lang Bundy said...

I'm reminded of the words of Jacob:

"I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant ..." (Gen 32:10)

I pray them often. I feel them constantly.

Danielle said...

"these are the gifts of His goodness to me, the painful, beautiful etchings of life under Adam redeemed in Jesus."

I like that.

Glynn said...

None of us deserve his goodness, but he gives it anyway. That's called grace. Beautiful post, Kelly.

S. Etole said...

wonderful, wonderful grace ...

Corinne Cunningham said...

I've so missed your posts Kelly...
This was beautiful, and left me a little teary. The bigness of Him, the good that he allows us to feel and be overwhelmed with. Love it.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful pictures and words about God's goodness and grace.

Wonderful post, Kelly.

Jennifer @ JenniferDukesLee.com said...

His amazing grace ... it still amazes.

Beautiful.

And Kelly ... so good to see you again. I missed you.

bradleyjmoore said...

Kelly - you somehow capture in words and photograph the longing aches that most of us have never been able to articulate at all.

Beautiful!

Melissa_Rae said...

And thank you Lord that we don't have to earn it! Beautiful post, Kelly. It's nice to have you back. :)

Rebecca said...

This is a beautiful contribution to the blog carnival...thank you so much for sharing your beautiful words and photos.

Post a Comment

Talk to me, if you like.