This too…
She had been wearing the same thing for a year.
I had never bothered to ask why, even though I sat with her in bible study every week for the past four months.
White blouse, white skirt and a white scarf.
At first I thought it was a religious thing.
Not wanting to probe, I just got used to it and then today I get to church and she looks completely different.
Hair freshly styled, a gold tinged outfit that would catch your eye, and make-up that made her look nothing less than gorgeous.
Turns out I wasn’t the only one startled by the transformation and amidst the complements, I finally heard the story.
She lost her husband a year ago and in her culture, the widow was to wear white for a year after the death.
Where I come from, the widow wears black for the year, so I never made the connection between outfit and grief.
Her year of mourning was now over, the widow’s garb was gone and we were all thrilled for her.
Sometimes when someone is stuck in a season for a long time- especially a hard season- it’s hard to see beyond their struggle.
It’s easy to have them in a box.
They are the odd one. Always sick, always struggling, always uptight, always in a bad way, always without.
Sometimes we see ourselves that way. When difficulty has been protracted, we have a hard time seeing our way out of it.
One of the things I love about God?
He has an expiry date for every bad season.
After a season of what could probably be described as hellish, my friend was finally out.
She didn’t have to dress up. She could have gone on wearing the same thing.
The fact that she did was a statement to the world that the old chapter was closed.
God’s heart for us is to move from hurt to healed.
Life comes with unfair circumstances but He remains the ultimate healer we can run to.
No matter how bad things may get, our Father has an end date for your heartache.
A day will come when you reach for the high heels and make up again.
There will be a time when He says enough to the pelting of pain.
Nothing lasts forever.
Especially the bad stuff.
God will see to that.