Day 17: Struck Down but Not Destroyed

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 I have an idea for the image I want but I can't get it until tonight. :)
I was looking back at some of my images from the other day. This is one of a reflection that I flipped "upside-down. " It makes me think of the first time I heard the term "upside-down kingdom" in reference to the kingdom of God. 
Anyway, this pandemic has had its ways with us, no? It's made me see the Upside-down Kingdom all the more clearly. It pressed me down. It pressed my family down. It pressed the Church locally and globally down, down, down and 
Out came the precious oil, a balm produced by our own wounds, made new in Christ.
Struck down and not destroyed, sure. Our honest tears baptized us. I wanted to tap out sometimes. Why oh God do you demand such suffering? If I tapped out, I could at least have the luxury of blaming myself or others, but if I stayed in the game, I'd have to blame You. I guess that's what You are, Upside-Down Kingdom One, in this world the Struck down are destroyed, but You? You're inviting me to look in all the lowly places. You're calling me to die to my needs for security, comfort, power, to be right, to fix, to explain,  to judge...there's a reason it's called Being Born Again. I guess that's it. I'd rather be the one to wrestle with You and come out wounded because at least You couldn't say You never knew me.
At least I could say I was struck down but not destroyed.
(I guess I did end up using that picture. I'll still try to capture the image I'm thinking of tonight. Maybe I'll be able to use it in the future) 

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