Does Anybody Hear Her?

No exhaustive post for today.
I just want to sing this the whole day.

And to this I want to stay and linger...
a little longer.

The Movie, The Woman & The Painting

The Movie

The Stoning of Soraya M.

I just had it on my Jim Caviezel’s To Watch list. Many times I had skipped my eyes on it and clicked others instead. Way too many times.

“The title doesn’t get my interest that much”, to myself I said.

Stoning?
What I read is what I will get to watch.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.

Then I’ve got nothing left to click, nothing left to watch. “I will give this a try”, to myself I finally said.

Goodness! It gripped me beyond belief! I felt my heart had stopped beating. I had literally given myself time to stop and stare. Deep, long sighs. The weight it had put on me kept me awake for extended hours. Too many tears that’s too many to shed. Too many reflections that’s too valuable to ignore. It was for that reason, that very same night, in an instant(!) I was led to...

The Woman

Could it be? Could it be?

Could it be that these WOMEN whom Jesus spoke these words to are one and the same?

WOMAN # 1
“... Then neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life sin.”
(Jesus to a WOMAN caught in adultery, who’s about to be stoned, too!) 
John 8: 1-11

WOMAN #2
“... She has done a beautiful thing to me... I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” 
(The WOMAN who wet Jesus’ feet with her tears, wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured an alabaster jar of perfume on them.)
Matthew 26: 6-12, Mark 14: 1-9, Luke 7:36-50 and on John 12: 1-3

I read, read and read the passage. I flipped, flipped and flipped the pages. The days, weeks and months passed, still I am hooked. With all the studies, blogs, and reviews I’ve read about the account of these Women, nothing ever made me kind of settled and satisfied. It is because I know, very deep inside, I had this fixed, unshakable mindset,

 “I hope they are just one and the same Woman.”

What is that to me? What is that to me if they are just one or different? You may wonder.

It is for understanding that it matters to me. It is for the full revelation of that simple act that really got me.

If they are just one and the same Woman:

No wonder why she wept that much.
No second thoughts on why she wiped Jesus’ feet with her hair.
No question why she would work, save and spend that much for a perfume just to be poured on Jesus’ feet.
No malice on why she never stopped kissing Jesus’ feet.

No wonder why  S H E   L O V E D   T H A T   M U C H.

She understood the weight of her sin. The cost of it occurred to her. It dawned to her that she was spared from a grave, ruthless, merciless kind of death. The movie helped me picture that BIG, BIG TIME.

She was spared from the stones.
She was spared from the dripping and squirting blood.
She was spared from dying that very same hour.

Reading and taking from John Chapter 8, Jesus is the only One qualified and rightful to throw stones at her, for He is without sin. But even then, He did not do it. Why?

He will be on His way to bleed for her.

It won’t be long enough that He will die on the cross for her.

*Oh, my, I am in tears now.* 

She understood and experienced God’s grace firsthand, right at her fingertips. Nothing can come close to that. Nothing could ever compare in the knowing you are not condemned, you are forgiven and a simple and sincere act of yours will never, ever be forgotten. 

True to His words, indeed what the Woman did lives on. Her story is found in ALL four gospels. More so, it was preached before, it is still being preached today and it will be preached more on the days to come. And look, I am writing about it now, and you are reading this blog post!

I still vividly so remember and feel that night. That very same night I had an encounter with the Movie and the Woman. And now...

The Painting

Taking every thought captive, I had needed something to remind me of it. Searching from thousands upon thousands of results, this one stood out:

http://www.dianafit.com/alabaster-jars-the-beauty-of-brokenness/

Now it’s everywhere I go:

It’s more than a painting.

It’s more than a wallpaper.
It's more than a background.

It’s definitely M O R E   T H A N   J U S T   T H A T.

Now you know.

---

PS You might want to do the same. Watch the movie, read about the woman, and look for a painting that would fit. 

If you did, I'd be interested to know. :)

A Thing on Healing

This topic has never ceased to be a very relevant issue of every day, day to day and definitely still on the coming days (name it!)... yet still very difficult to write about. Seems like each one, from VIPs to common man can come across this one:

H E A L I N G 

As I refuse to make an exhaustive discourse, I am at least allowing myself to make a very brief post. Come, take a peek. :) 

Jesus' account on healing:

Two Blind Men

“DO YOU BELIEVE that I am able to do this?”

“Yes, Lord.”

“According to your FAITH will it be done to you.”

(Matthew 9:28)

Bartimaeus

“WHAT DO YOU WANT me to do for you?”

“Rabbi, I want to see.”

“Go, your FAITH has healed you.”

(Mark 10:51, Luke 18:41)

Invalid Man of 38 years 

“DO YOU WANT to get well?”

“Sir, I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred... ”

“Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.

(John 5:6)

* * * * * * * * * *

Faith pleases God.

Jesus saw the faith of the two blind men and Bartimaeus. 

He healed them right away, all the way.

He didn't see the same to the invalid man. 

Still, He healed him anyway.

You might be led to ask, why?

Faith, as it pleases God, the presence or the absence of it doesn't change God's attribute and person. God's power to heal is not dependent on man's faith. It is dependent on the Object of faith. 

Had it been on man's faith, man gets the credit. Had it been on the Object of faith, guess who rightly deserves the credit?

Healing is very much about on WHO GOD IS, His Identity. He is the Healer. More so, He is Healing Himself. On the other side of the coin, the result whether healing takes place or not, instant or not is still not for us to take. It is under God's sovereignty. He sees the bigger picture of our “Why's?” and “Why not's?”

As a wrap up, this is healing in a nutshell:

His Name, His say, His way.

:)

---

Image credits:

vijayrebello.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-miracles-of-jesus-christ.html

commons.wikimedia.org

A Pinned Interest

I wanted to hide myself under the pillow. 

I have got so much to do... with so little time. I have so many thoughts but can't write it down. *Sigh* It's not new, anyway. It has also been the rant of so many people out there.

With so many overwhelming tasks on my plate, sometimes I just want to stop and do n o t h i n g.

You know how it feels, right?
Been there, done that?

I am gathering my self-composure again. I somehow lost track of my usual rhythm and discipline... I want it back.

My blog is my classic example. It seems like I had pinned my blogging interest for the longest time. Pretty much stuck ~ not visited, not updated. *Another sigh*

image credit: www.themartelexperience.com

Blogging inspiration, please pay me a visit, okay?