a new blog for a new season.

Hey everyone. It's been awhile.
I have a story to tell about the new theme of my blog, but I have to save it for a little while. But for now I can share that it is a new season for me, and God has stamped a sort of seal on it: JUBILEE.

When God was first setting down the laws for the Israelites, it included a "Year of Jubilee" (see Leviticus 25 if you're curious). Every 50 years, the Israelites were supposed to let their land take a sabbath rest for an entire year, which basically meant they got a rest too since they lived off the land. Also, all land that had been bought and sold during the previous 50 years was to return to the original owner. All debts were to be forgiven, which meant all the indentured servants were set free to return to their own land and their own families. Jubilee was all about setting free, making right, leveling the playing field. Redemption, celebration, freedom, and rest. It was like a climactic pinnacle of the rest-on-the-7th-day Sabbath rhythm - 7x7 years = 49, so the 50th year was like one gigantic Sabbath. It was a foreshadowing of what it would be like when the yet-unknown Savior would return, making all things right. Justice, Salvation, Redemption. Beautiful.

Unfortunately, the Israelites never actually practiced the Year of Jubilee, as far as we know. I can imagine that after 50 years it would have been pretty complicated to figure out who owed who what, etc. etc. In general it's hard to forgive people who owe you, just because God said so. Not really surprising that they never carried it through.

But, I feel like God's been showing me that He's leading me into a season of Jubilee. Unfortunately it hasn't been full of fanfare and celebration, but more along the lines of grieving and mourning. I've been coming to terms with a lot of losses and disappointments and hurt - the things in my life that have made me question, "what the heck are You doing?!?" More on that story soon.

But the point is, that I think He has had to help me process all of the pain and confusion in order to pave the way for Him to show me more of the redemption part. Definition of redemption is buying back what was lost or bringing good out of bad (or life out of death). Even in grieving, he is starting gently to shift my gaze toward the bringing-life-out-of-it part. I'm hoping part of that will be increased blog entries. Hence, a new blog theme.

[read Jubilee's story, which inspired this blog.]