Books, Blogs, & Brownies

So my best friend, Beth, called me one day and said "Hey, I think we should read 'The Passion of Mary-Margaret' and be a part of the Books, Blogs, & Brownies discussion group."  Since reading more was one of my New Year's Resolutions, I agreed.  Ha!  I should've known that anything Beth gets me into would require major spiritual growth! ;)  I've already read the whole book and had a real love-hate relationship with it.  I should explain, though, that my hate for the book only came because certain aspects hit unexpectantly close to home. 

Anyway, this is Day 1 of the discussion and we're to discuss the following questions regarding the first two chapters of the book so here goes!

In what ways might the conception and birth of Mary-Margaret, in all of its violence and pain, be something the Lord is going to use for His glory?  Is it possible for someone to come from such traumatic beginnings and live a life that shines for him?

Well, obviously, I believe that God can use every situation for His glory and I think situations involving violence and pain are often a way for us to demonstrate our trust and faith in Him to those around us.  It is far easier to have faith when our lives are going well, but true faith occurs when we are facing struggles and have obstacles we must overcome.  The people I most look up to are those whose faith has not been shaken when they faced circumstances that I cannot even imagine enduring.  They are an inspiration to me and a constant reminder that our purpose here on Earth is to glorify God in ALL we do and in ALL we experience.  My goal, plain and simple, is to trust God for WHATEVER He has planned for my life and to grow in His grace and knowledge because He and only He is sufficient for me. (See Beth's post for more on this!)

On Page 9, Mary-Margaret describes the scene of her Mother's death, writing "The blood she gave for me.  Yes, I'm painfully aware of the symbolism."  In what ways could this foreshadow events to come?  Do you see a story of redemption on the horizon?

Ironically, I read this chapter right after coming from my latest OB appointment where she explained that after having Finley I had what is known as a postpartum uterine hemorrhage just as MM's mother had.  Obviously, years ago, I would have died in childbirth, but thankfully, that was NOT God's plan for me!  See just an example of how God has used my life as one of REDEMPTION!  =)

Since I've already read the book, it is difficult for me to answer this question knowing just how it does foreshadow events to come, but I will say that just as MM's mother gave her blood for her symbolizing Christ's blood for us, every event in our lives, just as every event in MM's life, goes back to one event.  Christ's death foreshadowed our story and we should always go back to it.... especially when life doesn't make sense.

And yes, I believe this is a story of redemption and that it is a clear reminder that with Christ, all of our stories can be and should be ones of redemption.  How humbling it is to know that our Savior died for our sins and that by His grace, we are redeemed and able to live eternally for and with Him.  How sad it is to know that there are millions of people in this world who are missing their own stories of redemption because they have not received Him.  How convicting it is to know that we hold the key to helping others hope and we are at times too self-absorbed, scared, nervous, etc. to share it.  How wonderful to know that God has a plan of redemption for our lives and that we can trust Him in the midst of turmoil as well as joy.

Stay tuned for more discussion next week!