Beauty Will Come Just The Same

"To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified." (Isaiah 61:3). It can be hard to imagine as we sift through the ashes of our burnt up dreams and hopes and memories how anything good or beautiful or joyful could come from this tragedy. Fires seem so very permanent. There's no way to put the particles of ash back together again. But as tempting as it may be to stare at those ashes forever and heap sadness and misery on top of sadness and misery, the Lord intends to take those ashes from us and exchange them for beauty. The poet Rumi said, “Sorrow prepares you for joy. It violently sweeps everything out of your house, so that new joy can find space to enter. It shakes the yellow leaves from the bough of your heart, so that fresh, green leaves can grow in their place. It pulls up the rotten roots, so that new roots hidden beneath have room to grow. Whatever sorrow shakes from your heart, far better things will take their place.” Ash mixed in with soil makes it more fertile. From the ashes of our sorrow, God will plant new seeds of happiness, that we "might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified." When our whole life seems to go up in smoke and yet beauty and joy and hope come anyway, then it is proof that we are stronger and more resilient than we could have believed and also that our happiness and peace transcend any object or career or dream or friendship or loved one. In the classic tale "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" the Grinch is perplexed that his brilliant plan to stop Christmas by stealing all of their decorations and presents is foiled and Christmas comes just the same. We can lose everything and yet, beauty and the oil of joy and the garments of praise will come just the same.