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This blog is simply meant to bring God the glory; no more and no less. I'd love to hear from you! Comments, questions, conversation. rebecca.labriola@gmail.com

Monday, December 17, 2012

Reflection on the Connecticut Shootings. Monday, December 17. 2012.

Oregon mall shooting.
Riverside robbery and shooting,
CSUF placed on lockdown.
Connecticut elementary school shooting.
Fashion Island, 50 shots fired in the air.
Bomb threats via telephone in the middle of noon Mass
at St. Rose of Liam in Newtown.
Man arrested for threatening LA elementary schools.

I just do not get it.
I do not understand why there are a bunch of evil crazies in the world,
why hundreds have to suffer at their expense,
why people have to fear holiday shopping,
and why some parents have to live the rest of their lives void of their precious children.

I do not think these incidents should result in arguments and discussions about
gun control,
or mental illnesses,
or school safety.

I think that these incidents should stir up in us an acknowledgement of the ugly evilness of sin but even greater than that,
the power of Christ’s healing.

It is going to be a long and hard road.
My guess is that many people will be asking why.
Why us?
Why right before Christmas?
Why my child?
Why did God not stop this all?
Why did God allow it?

Honestly, the only sufficient answer that comes to mind is this:
What God permits, He can redeem.
I still do not fully understand the concept which is confirmation of St. Augustine’s famous quote,
“If you can understand it, it is not God.”

God has permitted this string of heart-wrenching events this week.
But that does not mean that He does not care and
that does not mean that He was incapable of altering these events.
It means that He permitted them.
Which means He can redeem what has happened.

Maybe those children were most ready to receive God in that very moment,
maybe hundreds of people will come to Faith because of these incidents,
and maybe we will never know the form in which redemption will come.
But we can be confident in the promise that redemption will come
because He is in control
and what He has permitted,
He can redeem.
There is redemption in His name.








Thursday, December 6, 2012

Truth, Lies, and Instagram. Thursday, December 6. 2012.

Late last night I was wasting time on Instagram.
There is definitely something beautiful and unique about viewing life through pictures.
I was just clicking hashtag after hashtag and picture after picture.
Creepy, I know.
But I love seeing life through others’ eyes, or rather pictures.
Last night I came across a picture that just broke my heart.

A picture came up of a girl’s wrist
all red,
all torn,
and all cut up.
She inflicted these wounds upon herself
and then posted the picture for the world to see.

Her comment was something along the lines of,
“But I’m okay, right? #sigh.”
Her friends proceeded to argue with her
in an attempt to convince her that she is worth more
than the negative attention she was trying to gain.

One of her friends was arguing however,
that, “If she busted some vein while cutting, maybe people would care.”

My heart broke even more, as if that were even possible.
I couldn’t believe the lies that were flying around like nothing at all.
It makes me so sad that this girl who has so much worth thinks so little of herself.

If only this girl could know her beauty and worth.
But the lies loom over her heart.
The lies steal her ability to see her incredible identity in the Lord.

Everyone believes certain lies that hinder their ability to see their identity in the Lord clearly.
“I will never amount to anything.”
“Nothing I do is ever good enough.”
“No one loves me.”
“I have to bust a vein for someone to care.”
The devil is at the root of those lies,
whispering them deep within our hearts.

And then there the Lord stands,
waiting with the truth to shatter those lies.
He is eager to take those lies,
reduce them to nothing,
and replace them with truth.
His truth.

He is telling you how much you are worth.
He is convincing you that He sees what you do; and He is pleased.
He is proving that He loves you.
And He cares for you more than you could ever know.
There is beauty in His truth.

Take the lies you believe and destroy them.
Fill the void with His truth,
for His truth shall set you free.

To the girl in the picture:
Know that you are worth more than you could ever imagine.
Know that you don’t need to harm yourself to gain love.
Know that someone cares, always.
Know that you do not deserve to live in lies.
Know that you deserve to live in truth.
Know that you are loved.