The Tear Catcher: Written by Lynn Mackenzie

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Prayer or Tragedy

Everyone has their own story to tell.  There is not one person on the face of this earth who is absent a story of their own.  What makes my story unique?  Mine grew out of the invaluable wealth of knowledge and insight into God’s heart and mind that I received during my husband’s battle with cancer. 

Someone once told me that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  I prefer to substitute the word beauty with blessings.  Blessings are in the eye of the beholder – and where there are blessings; there is a bounty of beauty.  Who in their right mind would think you’d find blessings in tragedy?  It just doesn’t make sense.  It’s an oxymoron. 

Have you ever heard someone say, “Now that was pretty ugly”? 

Well, it just doesn’t make sense when you really think of it.  Pretty is something that is pleasant to look at and ugly is just something that you’d rather turn your head away from.  So to say that something is pretty ugly….well, you get my point.  To say that there can be blessings amongst someone’s darkest tragedy, well, it just seems wrong.  Right?     

Tragedies can enter your life in many different facets.  It can be a slight inconvenience in your busy life or it may come as a real blow to your entire world.  Our tragedy was progressive.  It happened over a series of days, doctor appointments and phone calls.  Despite how it came, it turned our world upside down. 

Do you have a tragedy right now that has changed the landscape in your life?  Maybe you know of someone who does?  What small thing can you do today – this very moment to turn the ugliness into something pretty? 

May I suggest that you simply begin today to relinquish all the ugliness to God.  Give it up.  Your shoulders are not big enough right now to shoulder the burden of carrying your suffering on your own.  By letting go and letting God take over, you too will find the blessings in the suffering.

 

Dear Father:

Thank you for being there at all times – even when life feels like it’s more than I can bear.  I can’t carry this burden on my own anymore because it is crushing me.  It seems all I have left to give you is a broken me.  Itty-bitty pieces and all.   Take them, they’re yours.  I surrender all and ask that you carry me moment by moment through this difficult time.   Amen.

 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” 

                                                                                                                                – Matthew 11:28-30