According to my dictionary, not Webster because I don't have his :), to
redeem is to
recover ownership of by paying a specific sum.
I've always loved the story of Ruth in the Bible. I'm sure partly due to the fact that it's a beautiful love story, and I'm a SUCKER for a good love story. But even more, I love the fact that it's an allegory for what Christ has done for me and everyone else who trusts in Him. Boaz was Ruth's
kinsman redeemer, which basically means that after her husband passed away, he was someone in the family to take her as his wife so that her husband's name could continue. (Yeah, the official Jewish law is quite a bit more complicated than that, but that's the gist.) =) The cool part comes in the New Testament, though. Before Christ came, we were held under the law, which no one could live up to being sinful humans. But, when Jesus died for us, he payed the
specific sum for our lives so that we could live in eternity with Him.
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
Galatians 3:13-14
To be redeemed, all we have to do is come to Him, broken, and accept His gift of life. This fact still amazes me!
There's a Christian singing group called
Selah that is
incredible!! If you've never heard any of their music, I highly recommend that you take a listen. (I promise this will all tie together eventually.) The lead male singer and his wife went through an excruciating experience with their 4th daughter in 2008. About halfway through the pregnancy, they found out that their daughter's condition wasn't compatible with life outside of the womb. To read the full story, you can go to
Angie's Blog. One of my good friends told me about the blog in March of last year. I sat down one day, and I literally read the whole story up to that point in one sitting. Let me warn you, though, that you'll need at least one box of tissues to get through it! It was an encouragement to see their walk of faith through this time of unspeakable darkness.
What really hit home with me was how similar their story was to the stories of so many of my families at work. I work on the sickest of the sick babies for a living, and I can't even begin to imagine what goes through the families' minds as they walk that road not knowing if their baby will be alive tomorrow ... or later this afternoon. Some days are awesome, and others are absolutely heart wrenching. Reading through Angie's blog really opened my eyes to some of the thoughts of parents going through this type of tragedy. I will never forget what a mom told a group of us in a class up in DC: "My son may not be your sickest patient, but he's my sickest kid." WOW! What to us, as healthcare professionals, seems normal and everyday is terrifying to the parents. That has stuck with me, and I hope it makes me a better nurse because of it!
Not to be Debbie Downer ... we do have happy endings in the NICU, and we ALL rejoice when the so very sick babies survive and get to go home with their parents!! At the same time, though, not all of our little darlings make it to their earthly home. We see brokenness in our unit - parents and family members at the lowest point of their lives. It is in these times that I wish I was allowed to share more of my faith with these families to let them know there is a Great Healer who can and would love to heal their brokenness while carrying them through this horrible tragedy. Our chaplains do an amazing job with the families at the hospital, and I can never thank them enough! But, they are also limited on what they can say unless the families ask a specific question. Red tape/laws really stink sometimes!!
All this to say, Selah recently released a new cd that has a beautiful song entitled "Unredeemed". Here are the lyrics:
The cruelest world
The coldest heart
The deepest wound
The endless dark
The lonely ache
The burning tears
The bitter nights
The wasted years
Life breaks and falls apart
But we know these are
Places where grace is soon to be so amazing
It may be unfulfilled
It may be unrestored
But when anything that's shattered is laid before the Lord
Just watch and see
It will not be unredeemed
For every choice that led to shame
And all the love that never came
For every vow that someone broke
And every lie that gave up hope
We live in the shadow of the fall
But the cross says these are all
Places where grace is soon to be so amazing
It may be unfulfilled
It may be unrestored
But when anything that's shattered is laid before the Lord
Just watch and see
It will not be unredeemed
Places where grace is soon to be so amazing
It may be unfulfilled
It may be unrestored
But you never know the miracle the Father has in store
Just watch and see
It will not be
Just watch and see
It will not be unredeemed
This song says it all. No matter the circumstance, bring it to Jesus, and He WILL redeem! He takes the shattered pieces of our lives that we lay before Him, and He uses them to bring about His glory. What an encouraging message! I don't know how many times I've listened to this song - sometimes singing along, sometimes praying, sometimes crying - since I bought the cd. And, this isn't the only good song on it! It's really a great time of worship to listen and sing along with all the songs!
I tried to upload it to the list of songs playing on here, but it's not yet available. So, you can click
here to hear them sing it. Enjoy! =)
