Ascension Day comes and we shall share the bread, and body of Jesus in Communion and Fellowship together. In faith, believing the church and family of Jesus share his sorrows as well as his joys, for we know, most surely that he shares ours. Some of us, know that the sadnesses and difficulties of this life are times of special blessings and it is our experience that Our Lord uses broken things:
Broken Things
God uses broken things
It takes broken soil to produce a crop,
Broken clouds to give rain.
Broken grain to give bread,
Broken bread to give strength
(Vance Havner)
I once asked what a saint was and Jesus answered me, “God’s chosen heart”
I read in my bible, “God doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
I am thinking of the hearts of the apostles broken with the loss of their friend, their sense of loss as he finally returned home to Heaven, his home .. their home for he had promised. Soon comes Pentecost … soon the church will be born …. here we are but first Christ’s heart and body was broken for us. These are the words we say together, “Though we are many, we are one body, because we all share in one bread”
And this sharing is real, not illusionary, it becomes real every time we show those who are aching and suffering the compassionate heart of Christ, who gave his new life and strength when he gave us his heart.
He asks that we give him ours…that we allow him to break the soil, and to take away our sins, our many trespasses as weeds from a field, to burn away the stubble of previous years failed crops, to make us ready to receive in good soil the good seed, that will accept the good blessings of Holy Spirit rain, that good seed may become good grain and good grain, good wholesome bread that gives strength, his hidden strength to a needy world. For, just as Christ is hidden in Communion bread, so it is that he delights to be hidden in you and me. The world may not know this, but the hands the church (you and I) holds out to it, in welcome, in sincerity, in peace, in love are his hands.
Life has taught me that God’s chosen heart is never chosen because it is perfect. Rather it is chosen because His Compassionate heart loves it, and we are loved with an everlasting love. Everlasting Love is prepared to persevere with our heart until our difficult, obstinate, stony, barrenness yields good grain.
Posted in love, for all who struggle with life’s hardness and losses, that together we may know, Jesus Christ, the Son of God gave his heart and body to be broken, that our losses might turn to Eternal Gain.
Prayers for times of difficulty and brokenness:
Teach us, Good Lord,
To serve you as you deserve,
To give and not to count the cost.
To fight and not to heed the wounds,
To toil and not to seek for rest,
To labour, and not to ask for any reward,
Save that of knowing we do your will. #1
Lord, I am small, often lost, often lonely and often feel that I cannot go on. Lord I feel your arm around me, to support me, it is your hand which wipes the tears that blind, from my eyes that I may see the way ahead. Speak to me, words of comfort until I see the rain has come, and gone and left behind your blessing, Lord the dove returned to Noah with a twig from the olive tree, so that Noah might take courage, and wait. Grant me courage and perseverance Lord to wait for the promised blessing.#2
#1 St Ignatius of Loyola
#2 St Giles Intercessor
tidesandtidings 