And With His Stripes We Are Healed

So today has been a 'blah' day for the most part. I woke up around 10, got a LOT of work done (at this rate, i'll have nothing to do on monday!) and watched WAY too many episodes of the Office. Did some laundry. Wrote down all the assignments i'm hoping to get done over break. It was dreary outside. the clouds were so close it was like you could reach your hand out the window and touch them. Then the rain came. and POURED for a long time. we even were in a tornado warning for 45 minutes and almost had to go down to the basement. it was hard being stuck in the room all day, not a soul to talk to. But it was good too. Very productive.

Then I decided I really wanted to go to LMPC's Good Friday service. Words can't describe it. At least twice I was brought to tears either by what we were singing or what Scriptures we were reading. His death seemed so real to me in that moment. I felt so undeservedly loved.

The call to worship was actually the first time I got emotional. Joe Novenson (my pastor) opened with 2 bible passages. The first one is one of my favorite verses, "Be still and know that I am God." Until tonight, I didn't really grasp the true meaning of this verse. Joe said that in the original language, 'be still' didn't mean 'without motion' or to rest from the busyness of life. 'Be still' meant, 'give it up.' It doesn't mean just rest from all the craziness. It means 'give it up, and know that I am God.' Give me your worries and your doubts, your frustration and your hurt. Give it up. Remember who I Am. I am God! Trust me. Then he read a verse about being quiet in Isaiah. Quiet does not just mean the absence of noise. It meant 'rest.' The way Joe put these 2 verses just made my eyes well up with tears.

I'm not one who always wants to 'give it up' to God. I try everything in my power to fix things MY way before ever considering going to Him. I'm also one for not wanting to just sit. Be still. Rest. And this weekend with no one here is forcing me to do so. and it's good. Hard at times? Sure. Lonely at times? Sure. But so, so good. I have no distractions. No commitments to anything. No schedule to hang out with a million people. Just me and my Savior. For four days. At the most important time of the year.


Jesus died for me. I've heard that for as long as I can remember. But tonight, it was like I had heard it for the first time. Jesus died... for me.

And 'with His stripes, we are healed.'