Tag: transformation

a tapestry of hope

[cross-posted to www.kimberlygallagher.com]

September 9, 2018 was the day individual accounts of broken stories of restoration multiplied exponentially through the body of Christ and became 1,000+ touchpoints of conversation as Heartland opened its first-ever creative arts exhibition, “Broken Pieces.”

Displayed on panels and tables throughout the lobby, more than 30 works were presented in poetic form, captured on film, pieced together with ceramic tiles, intricately woven with yarn, brushed on with acrylic paints and oils, sculpted, collaged, and drawn with pencil.

Theme aside, these somewhat fragmented displays of artistic works taking up space where comfy couches were normally located could have been placed anywhere except for one defining feature: the exhibit cards. Suddenly, simple white cards bearing the typical piece description became a megaphone for the healing work of Jesus. With one glance, personal trials, struggles with mental illness, eating disorders, anxiety, depression, homelessness, hopelessness, and death multiplied out from darkness to light as every individual’s internal monologue touched 1,000+ lives every time someone read an exhibit card.

2 Corinthians 4:6 says, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”

God took a simple display of themed creative work and turned it into a tapestry of restoration and hope. Like a stained-glass window, all the panels and tables of artistic broken stories were held together with the love, healing and grace of Jesus.

The Enemy wants us to keep our broken stories, deep hurts, and struggles to ourselves so that we remain isolated, but through the Power of God’s Holy Spirit and the saving work of Jesus on the Cross, there is no limit to what He can accomplish in us and our relationships with others when we make ourselves vulnerable, authentic, and transparent.

1 Corinthians 12:24-26 says, “…But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.”

The Broken Pieces exhibit is just one more example of the transformational work God can do in our lives when we allow our stories to be used by Him.

Have you experienced Christ’s love and healing in your own broken story? Are you still trying to make sense of everything that’s happened in your life, or are you losing hope? If any of these ring true, please reach out!

unpack your bags

[cross-posted to www.kimberlygallagher.com]

As part of my fun and curious quest to read the Bible chronologically, I recently read through the book of Leviticus. Quite honestly, I slogged through the book of Leviticus. The entire book is about all of the rules, sacrifices and procedures required to be clean before God — or make atonement for sin — and it completely sets the stage for the time when God would send Jesus to be the ultimate sacrifice for all sins, putting an end to the Levitical system.

I’m a very visual person, so as I was reading, all of these unwanted pictures about what was happening were running through my mind. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be the priest, and I thought about how fearful and dejected the people must have been: “Is this animal an acceptable sacrifice for my sin? Did I follow the right number of days or the right type of sacrifice to be purified?” Can you imagine the burden of living like that every single day?

Many times I asked myself, “Why am I reading this book?” because I was pretty certain God would be cool with me just skipping it. “God, I know you had a plan here, but really? Like this is what you came up with?” However, I knew if I kept reading, there was going to be some little gem in there that God was going to speak to me through. By the time I got to chapter 26, I was beginning to doubt that this gem existed in Leviticus, but then, there it was in verses 12 and 13:

“I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high.”

What a great illustration of what God is doing in our lives TODAY. Maybe your response looks like mine: “Yes God! YOU walk with me daily. Through the power of Your Holy Spirit and by the grace and mercy shown me through Jesus Christ, I am no longer a slave to sin or any part of my past. Because YOU have broken the chains of my bondage, I am new…transformed before You.”

I encourage you to be fully free in Jesus Christ. And if you have a personal relationship with Christ but you’re hanging onto some stuff, I encourage you to take the baggage of your past hurts, disappointments, stress, lack of confidence, negative feelings, and root causes of your addictions and hand it all over to God. You can stand tall with your head held high (Lev. 26:13), knowing “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1-2).

Let me know how I can help you on your journey of being continually transformed. We’re in this together!