What to say?

It's been another difficult week here. A friend's series of poor choices has led to a ton of problems and consequences that have huge ramifications for our whole school. We are emotionally exhausted. We feel hurt and angry and sad and a whole bunch of other things all at the same time. The words of King David in Psalm 55 sum up what we feel - if it were an enemy hurting us, we could bear it but no, it is a friend, one who we walked and worshipped with. My bible study leader said this week, not refering to this situation at all because she isn't aware of it, that the wounds of enemy are nothing compared to the betrayal of a brother. Those words stopped me dead in my tracks because they are so very true.

But....there's always a 'but' in the desperate Psalms.... BUT .... we have been overwhelmed by God's grace. Because at the end of the day, we all need grace and we've all received it a hundred times over when we didn't deserve it. Grace, theologically defined, is merit given to the undeserved to pardon them from their guilt. Grace, relationally defined, is a generosity of spirit that recognizes we are all in this life together (sounds like a High School Musical song!) and no one is any better than any one else, despite the size of their bank account or their car or their retirement portfolio. In God's economy, we all have empty pockets except for the nails we carry that pounded Him to the cross.

So with the grace that has covered us and given us reason to smile through our pain, we are also extending to our friend, who is in deep need of it. And we are trusting in the God of hope to redeem and restore all that has been broken. He's so very good at it and since He stands outside the constraints of time and structure that we are bound by, I have no doubt that He is already there, exchanging the ashes for beauty.