Nothing is Wasted

Jason Gray - Nothing Is Wasted (Official Lyric Video) from jason-gray on GodTube.
I've heard this great song on the radio several times over the last few weeks and it has really been an anthem for me.
I highly recommend the above video - but if you don't have time for that - below are the lyrics.

 "Nothing Is Wasted"
 The hurt that broke your heart
And left you trembling in the dark
Feeling lost and alone
Will tell you hope's a lie
But what if every tear you cry
Will seed the ground where joy will grow
 And nothing is wasted
 Nothing is wasted
In the hands of our Redeemer
 Nothing is wasted
 It's from the deepest wounds
That beauty finds a place to bloom
And you will see before the end
That every broken piece is
Gathered in the heart of Jesus
And what's lost will be found again
 Nothing is wasted
Nothing is wasted
In the hands of our Redeemer
Nothing is wasted
 From the ruins
 From the ashes
Beauty will rise
From the wreckage
From the darkness
Glory will shine
Glory will shine

In light of everything that has unfolded this week, and my own personal struggle, I thought I would share this.  I  had the privileged recently of working with a couple clients at the counseling center who were facing bereavement issues over their own personal losses. 
I've read about the stages of grief and heard various counseling theories about coping with grief, but sitting with other people in their pain and letting it be okay, somehow helped me accept my own.

I don't know what stage of grief I am in -  I don't really care.  Because I don't think it ends after stage 5.  I don't think that it gets packaged up and 'dealt with' enough to put it away so that you won't feel it anymore.  This week I have struggled with my own grief, but God gave me this beautiful vision of Himself 'working all things together for my good.'  God was sewing together this giant tapestry with pieces making up my life - joyful and painful pieces all together - creating this beautiful masterpiece that he lovingly wrapped around me like a blanket of peace and comfort. 

Nothing is wasted.  Shattered dreams are not wasted, acts of terrorism are not wasted, terrible accidents are not wasted, death is not wasted.  Because we have a Redeemer, we have a Father who lovingly and miraculously makes beauty from pain.  August 5th will come soon - and even though there won't be a baby - I find myself grateful for God's kindness, because that very day will be baby Mary's 1st birthday.  She is the daughter of my dear friends who are in Taiwan right now waiting to bring her home.  I have prayed for Mary for so many years now that my heart is full of joy for her and for her parents - so it will be a day of rejoicing, even if there is pain, I know it will not be wasted.

yikes!

Things have been more than a little crazy around here the last few months. It has been something like - illness, event, illness, tests/papers, event, illness, event, prepare for oral exam, illness, event, illness, apply for new job, illness, event, 5 WEEKS UNTIL GRADUATION and H and I are both sick right now! I've got a major test and paper waiting to be written right now, but promised my Dad I would put up some pictures! So, the end is near, I have already applied for a job and I'm working on my application for licensure as a psychologist! Whew, it has been a wildly, exhausting ride - but I'm so glad I decided to go back to school and pursue psychology. Hopefully I will be posting this summer that I've been hired as an LSSP-I (Licensed Specialist in School Psychology Intern) and can begin my 1200 hours towards licensure. Here are the pics Dad! =) This is the cookie cake H and I made for Jeff's birthday - he worked the ENTIRE day (and several days surrounding it) so we didn't actually get to celebrate his birthday until yesterday (2 weeks later - that is how busy things have been) These pictures are from the Easter egg hunt at Church. H hates taking pictures these days - but loves to make funny faces for the camera! These were our family picture attempts on Easter. I have a feeling this will be as good as it gets for a while! These are pictures from the Easter egg hunt we had at our house. It has been really cool to see H get excited about Easter - not because of a mythical rabbit, but because of Jesus! Explaining the cross to a 3 year old helped me regain a sense of marvel at what Jesus endured and how great God's love is for us even when we seem unlovable. Below is a video of H on Easter singing his favorite Easter song. He loves to sing and it makes my heart so happy to hear him worship and to know that these songs "are worship for God!"