Beauty From Ashes

Did you knowthat the Northern lights, Aurora Borealis, are created when the particles of solar flares make it to our atmosphere and are ground to a halt by the bubble that God put around us.

No, that's not the scientific lingo. I'm a writer. I avoided all the sciences at all costs, but I understood her explanation of this. (She even had graphs and diagrams to help walk me through it.)

But as I gazed at these pictures I mulled it over again. These pieces of light, actual bits from the sun itself, endure a chemical reaction that annihilates them to make the beauty that you see here. (Living in Texas, I can only hope to one day see them in person. Sort of the awe I felt when I saw my first tornado. Only without the terror.)

This burning away of the particles to set up the amazement of light started me thinking about the verses from Isaiah. Where the prophet emphasizes that God isn't leaving his people without hope.

For those who grieve in Zion--to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness 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

There was a popular Christian song written from this very verse about a decade ago by Crystal Lewis:

The song goes through three different ways that our "particles" my fall. Through sorrow and suffering, guilt and fear, or living without God. But in each situation, He is able to take the broken pieces and make something beautiful. It might take a while. It might even be painful, but in the end, the joy we'll have from bringing Him glory and spreading a smile across His face will be well worth the temporary discomfort.

Songs tend to stay with me and inspire me when I least expect it. What is a song that inspires you?