Sandra Heska King

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Grit-Crusted and Glory-Strengthened

February 24, 2012 By Sandra Heska King

When I washed, I saw. ~John 9:11 (Message)

There’s a hush this morning.

Branches bow under the weight of wet white grace.

I stand robe-wrapped and slippered on the porch and drink His whispers.

Come to me all who are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Giant flakes fall, and boughs droop to kiss the top of the Journey.

There’s school this morning, and the roads are messy.

Grace and I pray that the Journey hugs the road, that He hugs us as we drive.

I think about Lisa Jo’s word prompt this morning–grit.

I think about how He entered our mess, hugs us through our messes.

And as I see the beauty around me, I think about one with grit-crusted eyes.

The passed-by beggar.

Blind from birth.

Born to beg.

Jesus saw him when others who saw didn’t.

And the Light stopped in front of his darkness.

The man could not see the journey-dusted feet in front of him.

The One with earth’s grit between His toes.

But he heard his voice.

Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.

Don’t look for who to blame. Look to God.

(So He didn’t say that last line exactly, though He did kind of did in the Message.)

What did he think when he sensed Jesus stoop in front of him?

Did he recoil when he heard Jesus spit?

(How many times did Jesus spit? Or was it just one big glory glob?)

He could not see Jesus make mud pies in front of him.

He could not see him make the mess that would heal his mess.

Did the dark get darker when Jesus smeared it over his eyelids?

What did he think as he stumbled towards the pool to wash the grit from his eyes?

I once was lost but now am found, was blind, but now I see.

And I am amazed.

At how He became dusty for us.

How He sees us still–the broken, the bowed, the heavy-laden.

His ground-in-the-grit children.

How He sees us when others seem blind.

And we don’t have to sit in the dust.

He can even use the grit of our lives to polish us.

He gives us eyes to see and the glory-strength to rise above the ashes.

He.

Gives.

Us.

Rest.

Then He holds out His hand and invites us to make mud pies with Him.

We don’t do this journey alone.

Disclaimer: I have no idea how long this took. Yes, it was longer than five minutes. Yes, I edited. But Lisa-Jo did provide the prompt.

We pray that you’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us. ~Colossians 4:10-12 (Message)

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Filed Under: stories and reflections, writing

Comments

  1. Elizabeth says

    February 24, 2012 at 3:38 pm

    I appreciate your line, “His ground-in-the-grit children.” He cleans us up and makes us new. “And we don’t have to sit in the dust.” Lovely.
    Visiting from The Gypsy Mama

    • Sandra says

      February 24, 2012 at 11:14 pm

      Thank you, Elizabeth. Life sometimes just pulverizes us, doesn’t it? Amazed at what He can do with that dust.

  2. Lori Poppinga says

    February 24, 2012 at 3:48 pm

    Thank you for sharing this beautiful word. Stopped over from The Gypsy Mama.
    Keep up the God work.

    • Sandra says

      February 24, 2012 at 11:15 pm

      Hi Lori. So nice to see you, and thanks.

  3. Megan Willome says

    February 24, 2012 at 4:14 pm

    “glory gob”–awesome! as is that photo!

    • Sandra says

      February 24, 2012 at 11:15 pm

      🙂

  4. tara // pohlkotte press says

    February 24, 2012 at 4:34 pm

    yes, he saw through all the grit, the grime. right into the heart of those who needed him most. great thoughts.

    • Sandra says

      February 24, 2012 at 11:15 pm

      Love how you put that, Tara!

  5. Linda says

    February 24, 2012 at 6:26 pm

    He sees us with such loving eyes – it is hard to take in. You did a wonderful job with this word Sandy. You always make beautiful pictures with your words and your camera.

    • Sandra says

      February 24, 2012 at 11:16 pm

      Aw, thanks, friend.

  6. Janet Macy says

    February 24, 2012 at 9:22 pm

    “When I washed I saw” – there’s a sermon in those words.

    Thanks for sharing. The words were beautiful even as we are messy. Thank God that Jesus came as a human and endured the grit and mess as we do.

    What a wonderful God we serve. Awesome picture.

    • Sandra says

      February 24, 2012 at 11:17 pm

      What grace that He would get down with us so He could pull us up.

  7. diana says

    February 25, 2012 at 12:16 am

    Ah, yes. The glory-glob and the gritty, dusty truth of love in action. Thanks for this lovely writing, friend. And that picture? Makes me smile REAL big. :>)

  8. Lyla Lindquist says

    February 25, 2012 at 12:42 pm

    You know, this story has become one of my very favorites. Even though the whole spit thing causes me the tiny convulsions, it is one of the most earthy, graphic, he-was-really-here-among-us pictures I think Scripture gives us. And it’s one of the passages that illustrates so well our ability to miss the point with its simplicity, and raises so many deep questions all at the same time. I love what you’ve done to illuminate it here, Sandy. What a seer you are — clearly he has spit in your eye a time or two.

  9. Simply Darlene says

    February 25, 2012 at 1:42 pm

    He sees us when others seem blind.

    I have to remind myself this time and again.

    Blessings.

  10. davis says

    February 26, 2012 at 7:55 pm

    the bird and snow is very pretty…

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