Guest Post: Karen Macri

Dear Hillary,

     I thought of a phrase from Isaiah 61:3 which says "beauty for ashes".

In the reference it is speaking about Israel but I was considering it in our situation

of having to leave our home church of 32 years.  We had worked diligently for

seven years hoping things would turn around but they did not.  We were horribly

disappointed and let down.  We knew that God could do a work but it just was not

happening.  It was the death of a vision for us.  Then we believe the Lord called us out of there.

But it was still difficult.  Two things the Lord has revealed to me.

     First He spoke to me one weekend at church that all the seed we had sown in the

previous church we were reaping in this new place.  I told Him I didn't understand how

that was possible since we hadn't planted anything here.  He made it clear to me that it

was all His Kingdom and when we plant seed in His Kingdom it always grows and produces

fruit.  

     The second revelation, He has been showing me recently is that I can continue to carry around the ashes of what was or I can let them go embracing the beauty of what He has brought us. Beauty for 

ashes that is an amazing trade off.  

-Karen