HE calls me LOVELY

What??  Me?? Me in my brokenness, in my failure, in my weakness, He finds lovely? This thought has recently gone from a theological agreement of sorts to a heart's wonder.  As I sit and wonder about the loveliness of the Most High and Holy becoming flesh and blood, a vulnerable little bundle,  awe overtakes me.  How can this be?  The God of the universe who spoke and worlds spun into order, who breathed and dust became living flesh.  The ONE who holds all things in his hands and orders all things by His loving kindness and wisdom - He somehow confined His vast glory and omnipotence in the form of a crying baby.  And this PERFECT ONE, Prince of princes, Lord of life, Beauty beyond measure - He calls me lovely...
   I had a thought suddenly startle me a couple weeks ago, and I have been chewing on it since then. I was looking at the details of the tiling work and construction of a friend's bathroom and pondering the multiple imperfections in the work I had done in my own house but also realizing that this professionally done house also had little imperfections when one looked closely, but weren't noticeable when looking at the room as a whole.  Breaking into these thoughts, I almost heard the words.  "God delights in the imperfect."  Come again?  God delights in the imperfect.  Really?  But He delights in Himself and He is altogether Holy and Perfect.  He calls us to be righteous.  I didn't say He delights in sin, but in the midst of our mess and imperfection, He delights in us like a stained glass that when a light beyond itself shines through... beauty.  A broken picture made beautiful by Light, the LIGHT OF THE WORLD - shining on all the broken fragments and making beauty. Have you noticed a beautiful field of flowers or landscape, but if you got close, each individual thing has it's slight imperfections/brokenness/uniqueness.

   He delights in our imperfections because it's in our very imperfections - His strength, His beauty, His glory, His ability is manifested.  Without our broken, His light an shine through, piercing all the jagged fragments and giving purpose, hope, life and something whole - a picture not present without the brokenness.  So, the Magnificent One sees, He SHINES, He reveals.  As Paul says in 2 Corinthians, "But He said the me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore, I will boast in my weakness, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me."  I have a long way to go before I am able to see as He sees and delight as He delights, but I am so thankful that in my weakness, emptiness, brokenness- He is revealed.  For, if I was perfect, whole in and of myself, what need would I have of Him?  But I have all need and He is all sufficient!
  Wonder, awe not just in Who He Is but in His perspective!

What Child Is This

1. What Child is this who, laid to rest
   On Mary’s lap is sleeping?
   Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
   While shepherds watch are keeping?
   This, this is Christ the King,
   Whom shepherds guard and angels sing;
   Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,
   The Babe, the Son of Mary.
2. Why lies He in such mean estate,
   Where ox and ass are feeding?
   Good Christians, fear, for sinners here
   The silent Word is pleading.
   Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,
   The cross be borne for me, for you;
   Hail, hail the Word made flesh,
   The Babe, the Son of Mary.
3. So bring Him incense, gold, and myrrh,
   Come peasant, king to own Him;
   The King of kings salvation brings,
   Let loving hearts enthrone Him.
   Raise, raise a song on high,
   The virgin sings her lullaby;
   Joy, joy for Christ is born,
   The Babe, the Son of Mary.

Song by Josh Groban

Beautiful and Awe-inspiring