“When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back.” Exodus 33:22-23
Over the past few of months, we have been blessed by the redemptive life forming stories that some of our women have been gracious enough to share. We have heard how these women have found a way to find joy in their lives in the midst of ugliness. We thank all of you who have opened your hearts and shared some of your deepest hurts and struggles to help the rest of us see that we ALL struggle and we ALL go through difficulties. Thank you all for sharing how through gratitude and trust you have been able to glorify God through the storms.
We hope that if you are going through a difficult time right now, that in time, you too will be able to see where God was in your storm. And time is sometimes what it takes to see where He is or has been.
“…--until we have the perspective of years.
In time, years, dust settles.
In memory, ages. God emerges.
Then when we look back, we see God’s back.
Wasn’t that too His way with Moses? ‘When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back.’ (Exodus 33:22-23)
…it is in the dark that God is passing by. The bridge and our lives shake not because God has abandoned, but the exact opposite: God is passing by. God is in the tremors. Dark is the holiest ground, the glory passing by. In the blackest, God is closest, at work, forging His perfect and right will. Though it is black and we can’t see and our world seems to be free-falling and we feel utterly alone, Christ is most present to us, I-beam supporting in earthquake. Then He removes His hand. Then we will look.
Then we look back and see His back.
…God reveals Himself in rearview mirrors.
And I’ve an inkling that there are times when we need to drive a long, long distance, before we can look back and see God’s back in the rearview mirror.”
Ann Voskamp. One Thousand Gifts, 2009
We look forward to more stories in the coming months from more of our women. We hope you are still counting your blessings. Thanking God with your lists. Finding Him everywhere.
CUMC Women’s Ministry
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