The Beautiful Gospel

I awoke this morning and immediately felt overwhelmed as thoughts began to fly through my head faster than I could process. Obviously, not a great way to start the day. I got out of bed anyway; you have to when you are a mama of four.  And honestly, I think that's what did it before I even opened my eyes- I am a mother of four!  I made it down the hall way and out to the couch still aching from my c-section.  With one eye propped open, I sat down and watched Sammy run around and listened to Luke fuss as he awaited his bottle.  My attitude continued to run down hill as I contemplated the day ahead of me. Although I would never want to be away from the kids 10 hours a day,  I secretly envied Tim as he got ready for work. Finally, the little brothers and I sent Tim off to work.  To top it off Sammy gave me  a bit of a fight to go in his room for his  daily "reading" time. Luke went down for his morning nap and it was time for me to be renewed.

With a steaming cup of coffee I opened to a newly treasured passage of scripture, Psalm 103.   I have been camped out in Psalm 103 for the last month and last week Tim brilliantly suggested I commit it to memory.  This mornings reading is a follows:

"Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseased,
who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, 
who satisfies with good so that your youth is renewed  like the eagles."
Psalm 103:1-5


In my ESV commentary, it states that "Bless the Lord" means to tell speak well of Him for His abundant generosity.  I love that!  He has been abundantly generous with me, no doubt.   The scripture goes on to recount the Lord's benefits:

*He forgives our iniquities 
*He heals our diseases
*He redeems our life from the pit
*He crowns us with steadfast love and mercy
*He satisfies us with good and renews our youth like the eagle

As I read of the Lord's abundant generosity the Spirit of God began to lift my broken spirit.  He forgives my iniquities- my unbelief that He will sustain me, my grumbling spirit, and my "woe is me" attitude. He heals our diseases, mental and physical.  He redeems our life from the pit.  He took me from the pit and has been faithful to never leave me-no matter if my pit was self induced, deserved, or undeserved.  He crowns us with steadfast love and mercy.  Steadfast-unwavering love and mercy.  He satisfies us with good. Period.
He renews our youth like the eagle.  I certainly need to be renewed as I have a newborn and a two year old!

In no way am I convinced that I have mined these scriptures for their true worth.  This is just what the Lord spoke over me this morning.  I do know that all of these things can be found in and through Jesus Christ and it is the beautiful Gospel that renewed my mind on this dreary morning. This is the beautiful Gospel that enables me to smile at Sammy boy who stepped in the cat's water, plays on the stairs ( a big no-no),  and pulled off  the rest of Luke's umbilical cord (yuck).  It is the Good News that reminds me to have patience with my Sarah who really just wants to help me and be a blessing.  And it is the freedom that the Gospel brings that enables me to relax when my teenager Justin, well behaves just like a teenage boy should.

Thanks you Lord for saving a wretch like me.  Thank you for your abundant generosity that you daily bestow on your children. 

Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me, bless his holy name!