Married to Vincent Van Gogh :)

"Beauty comes....but not for you" he whispers sneers into my ear. I tell a friend. She hears it too, she gently confesses. We believe for beauty for one another. We stand firmly on that point. No need to waiver. It is not a question in our minds. God will surely bring great, overwhelming, breath taking beauty to my precious friend who has hurt so much. Isaiah 61:7 springs to my mind.

"Instead of your shame
    you will receive a double portion,
and instead of disgrace
    you will rejoice in your inheritance.
And so you will inherit a double portion in your land,
    and everlasting joy will be yours."

We believe. We stand. We encourage. we doubt. Oh wait, that last one isn't supposed to be in there, is it? But it's true. We doubt. We so often doubt. That voice....that horrible little voice.....it gets to us. We cower in shame, ashamed that we would believe such a thing. And yet, the enemy uses "proof" to show us that God is not for us and beauty will not come. He doesn't, however, use very good logic :) He tried to lure you into believing, "You can't see the beauty, so it's obviously not coming."

Wait a second. Is this true? Is that a good logic that follows reasoning?  Nope. Not so much. I can't see the moon right now, but that doesn't mean it won't rise tonight? Just because something isn't happening in this moment, in no way guarantees that it won't ever happen! You aren't pregnant today, but you long for a baby? That doesn't mean you will never be pregnant or be a mama. You are alone today and you long for a precious man or woman to love you? You could meet this man tomorrow! Whatever the dream or promise that He has laid in your heart....just because you can't see the fulfillment today, does not mean that it won't ever come.

I don't know what your dreams are. I don't know what pain clutches your heart. I don't know what beauty you long for.

I do know the one who longs to hold you in your pain, walk with you in your waiting and bring His sweet promises to pass (I just don't know when ;)

Often though, we hide. We hide our hearts' dreams from the one who planted them. We hide our longings and our pain. We hide from the very one who can help us....

I went through a beautiful walk through this snowy canyon a few days ago with my friend Malory. As we walked, we talked about beauty.

This.

He created THIS.

And yet I doubt.

How silly my doubt seems when compared to this MAJESTY!

It's as if I am happily married to Vincent Van Gogh and yet lamenting that I want a painting SOOOOOOOOO badly. Why oh why do I not have a painting?

Can you picture my husband? Vincent Van Gogh. Gently pulling me aside and saying, "Sweetie....maybe I could paint you something? I mean, people have said I'm sort of good at this :) Why don't you ask me? Your loving husband who adores you? Who would want to paint you something more? I promise. I want to. AND I'm capable at creating beauty.

Maybe Jesus wants to whisper the same thing to your heart?

Maybe He wants to remind you that YOUR bridegroom adores you and would love to create beauty for you. Look around.....He is capable. Beauty is sort of His thing :)