Dry Bones

Recently, our pastor preached on the passage in Ezekiel 37:1-14 which talks about the valley of the dry bones. The Lord tells Ezekiel to prophesy to the dry bones in order for them to once again become alive with flesh.  My 10 yr old looked at me during the sermon and asked, "Is this a true story? Did he really make the bones come alive?"  I had to be honest with her - I didn't know.

Then the pastor gave me the answer I needed. She didn't answer the question my child asked, but rather the question my heart was seeking. "How did this relate to my life?"

Each of us has periods of "dry bones" in our lives. Times when we feel helpless, depressed, lost. Times when we can't see the blessings of life. Some of these "dry bones" times are mild, some seem more severe. Regardless, God is telling us to tell those dry bones that He alone is Lord, in charge of the blessings of life. Through Him, we can once again rise up out of the dry desert.

I found it interesting that our pastor also chose 1 Corinthians 12: 4-13.  This passage talks about the gifts of the spirit. Although we have different gifts, together we all make up the Body. We can't all be a hand, otherwise the body cannot stand.

One statement the pastor made that stuck out in my mind is, "The body has what it needs to heal." Sometimes it's our own body (and mind) that needs to heal. Other times it's the Body, whether in our own little congregation or in the whole world. I am reminded of the song many of us learned as children, "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands." Indeed He does!

Some other points from the sermon, using these two somewhat contradictory passages to support each other (my own paraphrasing):

• Set your mind on your strengths (gifts), not your weaknesses (dry bones)
• If you focus on your weaknesses, the highest score you can get is a zero
• Strengths spawn more strengths
• You need to be aware of the unhealthy parts (dry bones), but focus on the healthy (gifts)

These thoughts touch so many parts of my life. However, as this is a diabetes blog, I'm going to stretch here with a final statement as to how this relates to my life with diabetes. At the time of my diagnosis, I could have said that my life is over. I could have resolved myself to a miserable existence with a chronic disease (dry bones). However, I know that God has a greater plan for me. He's given me a gift, one I need to share. My purpose (gift) is to reach out to others, advocate, and fight for a cure. Amen.

Skeleton picture found here.