Thoughts About Kobe Bryant and The Precious 9 Lives We Lost

I was going to write about dad sneakers today. My editorial calendar reads differently than what my heart needs to say. It feels superfluous to me to speak about fashion before I clear my heart and allow the grief it feels. So if you need something to help you cope with what happened yesterday, I pray this post gives you refreshment.

We’ve lost a huge icon of hope in the life of Kobe Bryant. His life and his death meant a shaking of shoulders for me. It meant changing my perspective on my life and being absolutely grateful for all that I have at this moment. It meant grieving with those who were grieving for the loss of precious life. What a sad day yesterday was and I’m sure that the families and people connected to the nine souls who went home, will STAY affected long after the headlines are no longer a thing. My heart hurts for the wives, children, parents, and friends of those who lost their earthly lives yesterday. My heart aches so much to put myself in their shoes. But try as I might, I can’t even begin to understand their loss and how much pain and suffering they are encountering. I am committed to kneeling before God in prayer for their hearts, because prayer matters.

Jesus is the only one who could possibly understand and be the absolute cornerstone of comfort and healing. All I know is the reason Kobe’s life meant so much to so many is that he lived a life unafraid of his calling. God called him to extraordinary and he said YES to the terrifying call. Listen. We are all called to leave the comfort and the illusion of “success” to a life of fruitfulness in God where we become vessels of hope for others. We are all called, yet not all of us want to leave the comfort. Not all of us feel qualified. Not all of us GO. Trust me I understand the fear that comes, that’s why we see the people who are living their lives through their calling as iconic. Jesus is the hero he just uses us broken vessels to share his hope and love. In my opinion, Kobe did more than GO. He believed and he persevered through all the adversity that comes our way when we live a life of IMPACT. Being in the spotlight has to be difficult. Having others judge your life on a daily basis can seem to be a crushing place if your motives are to live a life seeking our own validation. I believe when God calls us to live extraordinary lives we are taken out of our comfort so that we can heavily rely on God’s power and strength. We are taken out of the mindset that something outside of ourselves is going to give us worth and value and we are given value from Christ’s dwelling inside our soul. I believe it’s from a place of worth in Christ that we are able to walk in the call of God for our lives without it crushing us when the audience boos our failures or worships our accomplishments. I believe whether we lose or succeed the glory is God’s alone anyway! When we walk in God’s call for our lives KNOWING we are worthy and valuable because of what Jesus did on the cross for us, our pursuit and perspective changes from trying to make ourselves seen and heard, to being a bridge to give hope to those who need the love of Christ. There is so much richness to life we we live it in the love of God connected to his acceptance that nothing and no one can take away! He made us with a purpose only we can fulfill and that he qualifies us when the time is right! For HIS Glory.

See when we are “connected to the vine we bear much fruit, from apart from God we can do nothing (nothing that truly matters to the kingdom of God)” parenthesis mine John 15:5 We are meant to live our calling and our purpose being filled up by God moment by moment so that we feel his love and joy that surpasses ALL our circumstances and then we can SHARE IT with others. When people see our lives they can feel refreshed, blessed and inspired to the same freedom that knowing the love of Christ provides our souls. We are created in the image of God for the good works that he already prepared for us. (Ephesians 2:20)

Do I Have A Purpose?

You have a purpose. Your life;

IT MATTERS. What you do with the little time you have on this earth is going to make an impact, leave a legacy and people will remember how you lived. How do you want to be remembered? I know this question is high in my spirit for right now. Nothing like losing someone you admire to really shake you into thinking of life in a more profound way. In the end, dad sneakers won’t matter. In the end, all that I’ve managed to accumulate on this earth will become trash. But the lives that GOD CAN TOUCH THROUGH US; now that is of value. That is worthy of praise. The lives that God can heal through our brokenness can give us the fuel to withstand the adversity that comes from a life of intention and purpose!

To think that I have lived a life of impact because I have died to myself and lived THROUGH Christ is one of the most exciting revelations I’ve ever had. All of a sudden my pain becomes relevant. I feel empowered by my struggle because I know that it will mean strength to someone else journey. All of a sudden I don’t stay victim to my circumstances; I rise above it to meet Jesus where his love meets my pain. Then my pain meets HIs purpose for my life and I have a story to tell. A legacy to leave my children with. God is good all the time. It doesn’t mean I have to be good. I can fall apart for it’s in those absolute broken moments when my hope is feeling frail that the incredible love of Jesus meets my starving soul. The anguish and pain I feel finally are validated and known. I feel seen and accepted. I feel so much gratitude for Jesus dying on a cross for my sin and I take in his glorious riches and drink deeply from the well that doesn’t run dry! My needy heart meets his sufficient grace and as I fall towards my brokenness and sit in the pain, he does what he does best; Healing miraculously and giving joy in the midst of calamity. It’s in those precious moments of suffering that I’ve been met with the unmatched understanding of Christ alone. And my life begins to make sense. I feel free to love and free to live no longer a slave to fear or shame!

I am learning to smile and get excited as I see a challenge come up in my life for I know attached to every hurt there is a rainbow! That hope keeps me moving forward as I am stuck in the pain and suffering of grief from every challenge that is presented in my life. I have really come to know that there is NOTHING heaven can’t heal.

I was signing in Choir yesterday morning and these are the words we were singing unknowingly as these nine lives made their transition from alive on earth to the presence of the Lord. May these lyrics that might be familiar to you sink into your bones and may they minister to your heart today.

IN CHRIST ALONE - Stuart Townend

In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone! - who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe.
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.