Great is Thy Faithfulness

Great is His Faithfulness

I’m writing this post, from a wind-rattled cabin on top of a mountain, surrounded by other snow-capped mountains under an expansive blue sky in Montana.  (Hopefully, dear reader, you can get a sense of this amazing place by viewing the slideshow above!)

I’m sitting here with my new husband, stealing glances at him as he edits photos taken during our snowmobile trip through Yellowstone National Park yesterday – of bison and elk and waterfalls and geysers and mountains and of us.

Us.  Wow.

We’ve been an “us” now for nearly three years – but with our wedding this past Sunday, that “us” has taken on a new depth.

When we leave this beautiful place tomorrow, it will be to start our extraordinary ordinary life together, as husband and wife, in our new home – together.

It all feels so “right” – yet, at the same time, so surreal.

I’m so glad that we chose to honeymoon here, underneath this sky.  The sky has always been so important to me.  When I can see the sky, I can think clearer.  I can sort out the thousands of thoughts that run through my mind daily.  I can breathe.

The sky settles my soul.

And sitting under the sky with my sweet, kind and funny husband, as we’ve talked together and prayed about the future and dreamed about what we hope our lives will look like five, ten, 20 years from now – my soul has settled.

It is well.

Our wedding last Sunday so joyful – I keep playing back moments in my mind, and each time I am overwhelmed again with gratitude – from the church full of friends and family, to the poignancy of having my four amazing kids walk me down the aisle and give my hand to Ken in marriage, to the sweetness of observing communion with my groom, to the joy of expressing God-honoring vows to each other, to the funny little moments that made the wedding so “us”, to walking outside of the church immediately after the ceremony with my new husband and my four children, and the six of us standing there in tears over what God has done.

Only God could do this.

Only He could produce beauty from ashes, and provide grace where once there was deep sorrow and alone-ness.

It was one of the most joyous days of my life.

Maybe the most joyous day.

_____________________________________________

Less than 24 hours later, in that very same sanctuary where much celebration and worship took place – there was a funeral for a 3-year old little boy.

I did not attend the funeral…we had left for Montana early that morning…but later that day I saw posts on Facebook describing that in the midst of much sorrow and grief, there was also beautiful, soul-settling worship.

In thinking about these two very different events – one, a joyous wedding – celebrating what God has done in our lives, and a picture of His abiding covenant love for us – the other, a grief-laden worship service rightfully lamenting the death of this sweet boy and acknowledging that we do not understand why – yet, we will still worship our God, who sees and knows. (Exodus 2:25) Though He slay me, yet I will hope in Him – Job 13:15…..

….when I look at these two events less than 24 hours apart, I see a common thread that produces tremendous peace:

Our most joyous, life-giving moments – weddings, births, job promotions, goals achieved, graduations, birthdays, the most beautiful weeks on mountaintops in Montana under enormous skies – they are but a glimpse now of the joy that awaits us when we shall see Him face to face.  C.S. Lewis described this by the use of the German word “Sehnsucht” – a sense of nostalgic longing or desire that we experience in such moments, for what is to come, when we shall behold Him.  In other words, these beautiful moments point us to Christ, the only one who can truly satisfy our souls.

and this…

Our most grief-stricken, heart-aching moments – the deaths of those we love deeply, illnesses and diseases, disappointments and heart-aches, abandonment, depression, despair, evil abuse – the acute sharpness of those griefs will be wiped away forever when we who are believers see Him face to face.  That is why this sweet boy’s family was able to worship, while in the throes of indescribable sorrow.

Truly, we do not grieve without hope.

and

Truly, we do not celebrate weddings and birthdays and other joyful moments without such celebrations pointing to our only true source of joy.

The sun has set here on this mountain.  The fire in our fireplace has settled down to a faint glow, and the moon is casting its light upon the snow outside these windows.  Tomorrow we go home.

And the days ahead will hold both joys and sorrows.  But as we sang during our wedding ceremony – God is our dwelling place.  Before these mountains here in Montana were formed, He has been our everlasting God.  He is the safe shelter that is the only firm foundation strong enough to hold both our joys and our sorrows.

We stand, in thanks – for His faithfulness.

It is, indeed, great.

God of glory, God of wonder, God of beauty
You reign through all eternity
Before the mountains
Or the earth had been formed
You were our everlasting Lord

You’ve been our home
You’ve been our shelter safe
For young & old to generations past
We stand in awe of a God so great
We stand in thanks for your faithfulness
O Lord, you’ve been our dwelling place

Dwelling Place ~ Tommy Walker

  Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
    “Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me.

Great is Thy Faithfulness ~ Thomas Chisholm