I was listening to a song the other day, and this line came up:
“Well they say You make beauty out of ash, but something has to burn before You can”
It got me thinking about the phrase “beauty from ashes”. It is a cliché phrase that we like to offer when someone in our lives is struggling, when their world is falling apart. It can be used to bring comfort in a tough time, even if sometimes it’s overused, or simply not enough.
In saying that, I knew it was a Biblical phrase – something that I was taught that we should always look at the context of a passage. In this case, the phrase “beauty from ashes” is not just about comfort. It comes from a passage in Isaiah (61:1-7) that is a foretelling of Jesus, and what he was going to do. Verse 3 reads, “To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;”
What I learned from the passage (see the memory passage for the month) is that Jesus presence brings not just comfort, but restoration of (or restitution for) what was lost. It doesn’t always mean that what was lost will be healed or restored (although sometimes it does), but it does mean that God will make good come from the situation, and what was lost will be compensated, if not restored or given back. Take for example, Job. A storm destroyed the house his kids were partying in, and they were all killed. Pretty rough. At the end of the story (once he got his focus back on God, and prayed for his friends), God restored his fortune, and gave him new kids. They weren’t the same kids. They could not be replaced as people, but the new children were still a blessing!
I have some very close friends that had twins in May 2020. Unfortunately, one of the girls had a heart condition. Despite the prayers of many, Holley passed away after 11 days outside the womb, as she never reached the weight needed for them to perform the surgery that might have given her a chance. After a miscarriage, they found out that they were pregnant again early last year. But, alas, the joy was short-lived. A scan showed that their new child had the same heart condition that claimed Holley. The sliver of hope was that because he was the only child in the womb, he might just make it to surgery. But it was like their world had
burned to ash again, almost as soon as something was sprouting from the past ash. Fast forward to November. Little Samuel was born, but not without trouble. Many sleepless nights of prayer, and he made it into surgery, not without complications. And on and on it went, until the end of July. Some minor issues with coming off the pain-killers and antibiotics, and Samuel was ready to come home! While Samuel could never replace Holley, the amazing blessing that Samuel is and will become is most certainly beauty from ash.
In order to see something beautiful grow from ash, something has to burn, in order for there to be ash. The most fertile land is often on the side of a volcano. While it may not be the most comforting thing for someone to hear when they are in the midst of the burning, it is important for them to stay in the presence of God… and sometimes, it is us that can help someone stay in the presence, just by carrying that presence with us.
“Lord, give us the wisdom to know when to not speak, and just be present and comforting. And if it is that we are in the middle of the burning, or sitting in a pile of ash from our lives, help us to continually seek comfort in Your presence, taking each day at a time, and leaving our burdens with You. Amen”
God Bless!
Ps. Karl