The Mystery of The Abundant Life!
Today, as I write this blog (29th May 2025) is a day of celebration - it's my beloved's birthday! I am deeply grateful to have this wonderful man in my life, who showers so much love on me and our son. I'm blessed to have shared 45 years of friendship, 40 years of intimacy and 39 years being husband and wife. Yes, today is a day of joy. And amidst the pleasure of celebrating his birthday, I have another thrill. My son, whose having a week off work , is hosting his two high school mates for the day and having a great time. Seeing him happy makes me happy.
So … it's been a day filled with gifts and hugs and wishes, merry smiles and birthday songs, cake and candles, laughter and camaraderie, family and friends, all of which buoys my spirit. My heart is full. But … my naughty body on the other hand, in distinct contrast to my spirit, has a different idea. It is screaming loudly for attention and I find it hard not to pay heed to its screeching siren. Its pain-o-meter protests loudly - yes, the pain is unbearable! The unfortunate truth is that in the last few years, fibro symptoms of fatigue and pain have escalated. Way too much ... and doing life has often become a struggle. I am deeply thankful for better moments, but they have become increasingly rare ... a rainbow that flashes into my line of vision but disappears before I can get my camera.
No matter what I do – my energy levels keep plummeting, down, down, down, like a bathtub being drained of its warm soapy water. Glug! Glug! Glug! When I keep going in spite of the fatigue – lactic acid seems to build up in my muscles and so, my pain levels shoot up like a volcano erupting at high speed! If, on the other hand, all I do every day is to sit around, eat, read and rest … then, I would do well, with much less pain and fatigue. Wonderful! But surely … life is more than resting. It's about living! Isn't it? Jesus said He came to give us life in all its fullness.
'In Him (Jesus) was life, and that life was the light of all mankind". John 1:4
'I have come that you may have life and have it to the full." JESUS John 10:10
When suffering implodes into my world, I have struggled to grasp this truth!
"Jesus, how can this severe fatigue and pain be part of the Abundant Life You came to give me?"
Despite desiring wholeness and pursuing it with all my might, so far, it has been out of my reach. Of course I know that suffering abounds in this fallen world. Every one of us suffers, in different ways. You who are reading this has also suffered. Too often. And perhaps too much!
But ... wait! There's another truth that has also been knocking at my door insistently – and this one's the bearer of good news! God's been opening my eyes more and more to the abundance of life … the sheer beauty of nature, for instance. In the last year or two, as I've thrilled to many exquisite nature videos of far flung places – flaming sunsets and brilliant sunrises, gushing waterfalls and sparkling blue waters, roaring seas and blue capped mountains, birds of every colour and hue, the underwater world with its mystery and colour, a feast of blessing for our senses to enjoy – I've marvelled at the abundance of it all.
Wow God! Wow! Thank You. What a gift! What an enormous, amazing, lavish gift!
There's abundance in other areas too. Relationships that bless and build, nourish me and bring joy to my spirit. The Word of God full of truth and promises, and the sustained inner life it brings. My home which I love – a reminder every day of God's reality, because of the miracles He performed to bring us here. Music that makes my heart dance, bringing comfort when I'm weary or discouraged. Answered prayer – lots of it, over many years. A church family who have splashed love over me in abundance. Plenty of books to read - delightful riches they are! Abundance. Yes, I do have it all. Not just in material things, but also in spiritual gifts – treasures that will last forever!
So … is my new found awareness of His abundant gifts and blessings, simply a window into this precious Life in the Spirit? And when I am struggling due to an unwelcome 'abundance' of suffering … does it actually ADD to this unique life, instead of diminishing it? Jesus Himself suffered more than anyone else. Could suffering therefore be a catalyst to LIFE in all its fullness? Suffering surely forces us into the arms of our Saviour, which is where we are meant to be. And spiritual formation occurs most often through our seasons of pain, adversity and challenge.
Dear one – I don't know your story, I don't know what paths you have trod or what pain grips your heart. But I do know that God is good and that Jesus came to bring us LIFE! No matter where you are on this journey, I pray that God will minister His comfort and grace afresh to you today. I pray that you and I will discover LIFE in all its fullness, even as we embrace the life He has given us, sufferings and all. Take heart, dear one. His love abounds. His plans are always good. And as we look to Him, may He transform our pain into jewels that will sparkle for His glory!
I am the Bread of Life. JESUS John 6:38 NIV
From His abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. John 1:16 NLT
Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you,
even as your soul is getting along well. 3 John 1:2 NIV
