Monday, October 17, 2011

A Response to Pain and Suffering

I'm reading a great book by my friend Shelley Hundley. "A Cry for Justice: Overcoming anger, reject bitterness, and trust in Jesus who will fight for you."

This is an amazing book. Not only is Shelley bringing justice scriptures to life but she shares of her own horrific journey into understanding and embracing Jesus as Judge.

Abused sadistically as a child, she was on the verge of suicide when her cry for Jesus to make Himself known to her was realized.

Shelley has pushed through the pain and despair of abuse and a four year chronic illness to rise up and say, "Jesus not only loves you, He'll fight for you and bring justice to your heart and mind."

This message is not preached enough. I'm not sure most of us even understand the justice of Jesus in this life or the next. But we must. Everyone of us has experienced some kind of injustice.

From my kind of injustice that when I was fourteen, my boss at Publix stole money out of my cashier's bag and blamed me for losing it...to Shelley who endured untold abuse.

There is no scale of injustice in Jesus's heart. He cries over it all.

Here's a great quote from Shelley's book:

"For all of eternity we will be face-to-face with the beauty and splendor of our God, but only during my lifetime on earth to I have the opportunity to impact the heart of God in the midst of darkness, accusation, and blindness. I have a chance only today to love Him in the midst of my current hardship, for this is when y heart feels nothing and sees nothing, but still I move in love toward the One I cannot see. And his heart is most undone (Song of Solomon 6:4-5.) I feel nothing. He feels everything."

I could meditate on this passage for days, grasping the depth and reality of it's truth.

Shelley is the real deal. Buy her book! It was released this month by Charisma House of Strang Communications. Worth EVERY penny!

Here Shelley talk about it here.

3 comments:

  1. Rachel,
    I've read and re-read that quote. And will re-read it again.
    And I went and purchased Shelley's book.
    Thanks for the recommendation.

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  2. Thanks Beth. And you won't regret buying the book. :)

    Rachel

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  3. Wow, Rachel. You're right. That quote has lots of meat in it. I haven't been through what Shelley has, but I still go through difficult times. I can choose whether or not I impact His heart and love Him in the midst of those times. Thanks for the book recommendation.

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