Dear Grief,
You hurt.
You ache.
You sting.
You are sneaky.
You are unkind.
But thank you.
Thank you for showing me more of Jesus.
For revealing my inner ache for him, and for showing me that he really is the only living source of water that I desperately need.
I hope to get rid of you soon, but I know that's not how this goes.
Until then,
Me
Dear Jesus,
Thank you for loving me.
Thank you for being my anchor in the midst of a storm.
Thank you for still giving me songs of praise, and moments of joy.
Thank you for your kindness, your goodness, your gentleness, and your peace.
Thank you for emotions and that I get to experience them-the good, the bad, and all in-between.
Thank you for your Word, and for the comfort that it brings.
Thank you for this season of life, and that in it, I get to look more like you.
Thank you for community, and that your Spirit is alive and active in all those around me.
Thank you for not giving up on me or others.
Forever yours,
Me
Without going into much detail, I feel like these two small letters/poems/whatever you want to call them sum up what's been in my heart for the past month. While there has been grief and loss in different ways personally and in the community at large, there has also been hope and reminders that God has won the victory. For example, one of my good friends, Aless, who is a student in our community, chose to willingly donate her kidney to someone in need at our church. If that doesn't scream Jesus to you, I don't know what to tell you.
However, for those of you aching, I hope and pray that these words not only bring comfort, but expression to feelings that you might be struggling to articulate. If that's you, I'm lamenting alongside you. One day this world will pass away but God will make all things new, and that's an amazing thing to hold onto because they are not just empty promises.
If this isn't you, I am praising God alongside you. He is good, and I have seen such evidence of that lately-from Aless, from friends, and from those persistently rallying around those grieving in our Body lately. However, I think when things are well, we tend to forget how to thank God and relate to those disheartened around us. My prayer for you is that you will consistently have a heart posture bent in gratitude and rejoicing, but also a heart softened enough to mourn with those around you as God calls you too.
I don't mean for this update to feel heavy or dark. That really isn't my intention, and I know this doesn't feel much like an update at all to ministry or FOCUS. However, I feel like this has been at the center of ministry for a bit-at least for me. And while I feel like there should be space for light-heartedness, I do believe the Spirit works in the valley as much as he does on mountain-top experiences. The fact that we even get to cling to hope during these times is evident enough of the Spirit-the same Spirit who rose Jesus from the dead and gave the apostles power during Pentecost.
So my update to you as my supporter is this-there has been rejoicing, but also has been hardship to some degree or another. So, please be joining me in prayer for resolution and comfort to all the things occurring, and even prayers of praise and gratitude for the good that has been also occurring. I also don't want to be vague about things. So, if you really do have questions as to what has been going on, please feel free to text or email me. I figured, however, it would be better to use discretion on the larger scale for these things out of sensitivity and care. I love you all, and am deeply grateful for your support and care during this time. Please feel free to reach out and let me know if you have any prayer requests.
Love,
Orion Clements
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