“He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.” ~1 Peter 2:24

Think about that for a moment…

We have no idea what it is to feel someone else’s pain or suffering. We can compare how we have felt with what someone else may be feeling, but to truly experience it, we cannot. When our children or loved ones hurt or suffer, we wish we could take that pain on ourselves, removing the suffering from them. That is a desire out of love. But Jesus had the power to do just that. He purposefully chose to take on all the pain and suffering we would face before a perfect and just God. The physical beatings, the nails through His hands, the dehydration on the cross – He suffered all those things for you and for me, and yet they were nothing compared to the spiritual anguish He suffered as the punishment for every sin that ever was and would be; the sins of those living and those yet to be born, was crushed upon Him.

Weeding my life. I do that sometimes. It usually begins in the garden, pulling those pesky weeds and grasses, pruning the good plants so they burst forth with color. Whenever I weed out my gardens, I begin to recognize the things in my life that need weeding, things that hinder my ability to be all God wants me to be, created me to be.

Unforgiveness. I tend to hold onto those hurts and allow them to take root deep down inside, believing the bitterness somehow avenges the wrongs done to me. Anger. When life seems out of control, anger rears it’s rotting head. Gossip. Under the guise of compassionate flowers, gossip is really the dandelions of life. They blossom shortly and then spread and spread, pushing out the good plants, cutting off roots to those good things that should flourish in our lives. Ego. Idolatry. Not putting God first. When it comes right down to it, these are nothing more than believing I’m better than God, that my plans are better, my ways are better, my timing is better, that what I want is better than what He commands or desires.

The image of the sun shining down on a warm summer day is epitome of a beautiful day for many people; blue skies, gentle breezes, warm grass beneath your feet to cushion your steps. That indeed is a wonderful image…

Then there are days like today, covered with grey skies, rain pouring down, clouds enfolding us as we walk through them. I love these days. Have you ever noticed how green grass can be? Each blade reaches up with open arms to receive His cleansing rains. It’s not just a sight to see, but you can smell it all around you, the earth itself giving its fragrant offering to the One who created it. Each leaf, blade of grass, blossom and living thing turns to the skies to receive God’s grace, God’s provision, God’s love – the earth turns to worship Him, so simply, so naturally. This is a beautiful day.