Ashes to Ashes
“…and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.” – Isaiah 61:3
I’ve been asked recently why the name of the blog is Beauty Will Rise. So, I thought I’d take this time to explain my reasoning behind this. It comes from the verse in Isaiah that talks about bestowing on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes.
The whole idea of anything good coming from a pile of ashes really intrigues me. I mean think about it. Ashes pretty much represent finality. When do we see ashes? At the end of a burning. When there’s nothing else left, at the bottom of the pit, that’s where the ashes are found. They denote the end. Not the beginning. At many funeral services the words, “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust” are read as a reminder that we come from the ground and return to the ground in the end. There’s a whole lot of ending and finality and gray and dark in a pile of ashes.
Stay with me, though. This really isn’t a blog about despair, I promise. It’s just that sometimes you need to see the despair before you can see the…BEAUTY.
I have a past full of ashes. It’s a large pile comprised of bad decisions, abuse, lies, disappointment. There was a time when I was knee deep in ashes and all I could imagine was that the pile would keep growing. One bad decision led to another one. One act of abuse led to a more severe attack. One lie led to another lie in an attempt to cover up. One disappointment led to another. The pile kept growing. The ash was thick, smothering. Nothing good could ever come of it.
Except that something good has come of it. Me. My life. My testimony. You see, God has the ability to do something amazing with that pile of ashes that I call my past. He brought beauty from it. Not just your regular, everyday beauty, either. But a CROWN of beauty! Now, when the enemy tries to bring memories of the abuse to my mind in an attempt to weigh me down, consume me, make me question, I put on my crown and let me assure you, it’s gorgeous.
I also have the oil of joy instead of mourning. I have done a lot of mourning over my past. I’ve felt cheated. I’ve felt robbed. I’ve felt responsible. I’ve felt betrayed. I’ve felt shame. That was then. Now all of that has been replaced with joy. The joy that comes from a personal, passionate relationship with Christ.
I have a garment of praise, too. I love my garment. It’s the one I put on when the despair of my past threatens to overtake me. When I begin to think there is no hope for someone like me who wears the scars of abuse. I put on my garment and I praise Him for the way He uses me. I praise Him for choosing me. I praise Him even for my past and the way He has used it to shape me.
I want to be called an oak of righteousness. An oak is strong. It withers storms and withstands weather. As I look out the window of my office, there is a beautiful tree just down the road, full of pink blossoms. It was planted sometime in the past to display its splendor. And it worked. It’s very stunning. To think that God can take my past pile of ashes and bring from it an oak that shows off His splendor just amazes me.
God and God alone can bring me from a place of weakness and uncertainty to stand before Him a splendid, strong oak of righteousness. He and He alone places a crown of beauty on top of an ugly pile of ruin. I can’t wait to one day lay my crown at His feet with more gratitude than I know how to fully express.
That is why “Beauty Will Rise” seemed the perfect name for this ministry that seeks to point out the hope of Christ that is available even in the seemingly darkest of situations. Wherever you find yourself, whatever your circumstances, I assure you through Christ, a crown of beauty awaits you. Let Him work in you. It’s time to sweep away your ashes and put on your garment of praise!
