COUNTERINTUITIVE BEAUTY
Read Time: 5 min 57 sec
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"The greater your knowledge of the goodness and grace of God on your life, the more likely you are to praise Him in the storm."
Matt Chandler
THE GOOD STUFF
COUNTERINTUITIVE BEAUTY OF THE BEATITUDES
This week we start a new summer sermon series called "The Beatitudes." Each week, we will walk through one of the eight beatitude statements from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5:1-12:
"Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
These statements can seem kind of backward, but there is such beauty in each. Check out this article from the Gospel Coalition about the Counterintuitive Beauty of the Beatitudes. Let's prepare our hearts to worship through these Beatitudes this summer!
STORY
GOD’S PROVISION IN A HOUSE
From Olivia Oldham
At the end of January/beginning of February 2021, Orian and I began looking for our first home. We had been praying since June 2020 that God would go before us and prepare a home for us, wherever that may be (although we hoped it would be in Greenwood). We looked at a few different homes – a couple in Southport and a couple in Greenwood – but each home we put an offer in on got beat out. The most devastating loss was a home in downtown Greenwood, close to where Orian grew up; we came in second. While we were awaiting hearing about that home, Orian had contacted Pastor Mark to talk about a couple of things and mentioned that we had put an offer in on this home and were praying it would go through. Naturally, we let Mark know we did not get the home when we received the call the next day. Unbeknownst to us, it just so happened that the week we put in this other offer, the Redeemer staff had gotten wind that a man in our church had a sister who was moving back to Florida and was planning to put her house on the market the next week. Mark let us know and connected us with Norm (the brother) and Jane (the homeowner). We got in to see the house the next day.
I’d like to say that we were super excited to see the home (I mean it was off-market and in downtown Greenwood), but our hearts were still a little raw from losing the other home. We had allowed ourselves to dream about our future there and then felt it crushed. Needless to say, we were excited at the opportunity to see Jane’s home but really were not expecting to buy it. But God, as He does, changed our hearts the moment we walked into the home. I’m not kidding you; it was like our hearts turned 180 degrees in our chests when we walked through the front door and met Jane. As we walked around and chatted with Jane, we realized this was exactly what we needed. A 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom (what we had prayed for), in the heart of downtown Greenwood (next to Mrs. Curls, can I get a ‘woot woot’?), with plenty of space to have people over and entertain. We fell in love with the deck and the pond thinking our dog would love to chase the geese, and were pumped to have a garage after apartment living for over two years. But most of all, we were in awe at how God had arranged all of this. We had done nothing to make this possible, but God absolutely went before us and prepared a way. We left Jane’s house that night speechless and praising God for His hand at work. Jane agreed to sell us the house off-market (a huge blessing in this crazy house market!), and there were so many connections to her and that home that we found out throughout the buying process. Friends had been to that house because they knew Norm, the selling realtor had been my sister’s realtor, on and on it goes. There were too many weaves of thread throughout the story for it to not be God.
So all this to say, God PROVIDES. He may not provide in the way we expect Him to (it wasn’t that house we almost won and really wanted), but He provides exactly what we need. The other home would have honestly been too much for us, and God protected us from that lack of wisdom. Instead, He steered us to a home where we get to keep in touch with the prior owner and stay under budget. He always makes a way. We are so, so grateful for our new home. And we pray that we never forget how the Lord provided this home for us. This isn’t just our home. We may own it legally, but this home is the Lord’s. We just pray to be good stewards of it and to love each person that walks through the door.
STAFF SPOUSE PICKS
COOK
I won’t claim to be a Michelin star chef, but Half Baked Harvest has helped me convince my husband that I just might be. Founder, Teighan Gerard, has a way of making gourmet meals feel approachable for anyone looking to switch things up from their weekly spaghetti and taco rotation. I’m admittedly difficult to impress but I’ve never made a recipe of hers that I didn’t like. A few of our favorites are the 25 Minute Kung Pao Chicken, BBQ Pulled Chicken Tacos, and Creamy Tortellini Vegetable Soup. You can check out some of her recipes for free on her website or splurge for the cookbook here.
Olivia Zurawski
PLANT
I grew up planting Zinnias with my grandma, every summer, without fail. They quickly became my favorite flower to plant when I had my own garden. Zinnias have got to be one of summer’s most resilient annuals. They tolerate, and love, full sun, and essentially pop up overnight wherever you plant them. I love the variations in blooms but even more so their vibrant colors. The best part: they’ll bloom all summer long and provide a fresh bouquet for my table every week.
Kay Ann Hardwick