During my recent visit to Minnesota, I was blessed to spend some quality time with mom. There is one thing that has really impressed me about her- a joyful heart first thing in the morning.

Despite age, hard circumstances or worldly concerns she wakes up ready to face the day with energy. In fact, I’m sure to set an alarm in order to be as “ready” for the day as her!

My coffee in hand, I would walk to her place and we’d walk back to the hotel for a lovely continental breakfast. That was only a year ago, I happened to spend a night at the same place this year and the young man who watches over the breakfast buffet remembered her with delight.

This year, I’d meet her after her breakfast but would usually bring a “treat” (like a Pannekoeken) for her and her boyfriend. They both enjoy watching TV in her apartment (or his, depending on the day).

When we returned from our shopping (or an appointment) closer to dinner time, she would be especially happy to get back “home” to see him.

Her joyful heart in spite of circumstances is good medicine. There are times for all of us when our spirit feels crushed. Dried up bones are the specialty of our God.

I was thinking especially of Ezekiel’s vision regarding the valley of dry bones. God made those bones come back to life!

In our family’s story, it was when my brother died tragically at age 28. It was enough for all of us to feel dried up for a very long time. I was especially touched by this loss, learning the importance to work through it at a “grief seminar” in Hooper Bay, AK. It was hosted by an Ojibwe couple, Art and Elizabeth Holmes.

Art was older and wiser than most and addressed the elephant in the room (the tragic suicide rate amongst the Inuit young people). He spoke to the importance of taking time to grieve the losses as a whole for their culture. By addressing this and acknowledging what had happened over the years, he opened everyone’s heart with wisdom that can only be found in the house of mourning. He pointed us to the comfort of the Scriptures and the love of God for the Native American young people in particular.

I opened my heart as well in spite of this buried pain to take time and mourn my personal loss, to acknowledge the grief and walk through it. It was a safe place with God’s wisdom present. Our pastor had also accompanied us on this trip (Pastor Ron Mancini). He was another elder who later that same year helped me decide to attend seminary by convincing me to open my heart to the Covenant Church doctrine that women are able to lead as evidenced throughout the Bible. There are many who bring good medicine through their examples and their words.

Lord, help us to share your joy with others as good medicine. In those places of dried bones please speak your Spirit of life again. Heal those who are crushed so that you may be praised again among the nations. – Teresa

Proverbs 17:22English Standard Version

²² A joyful heart is good medicine,
    but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

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Ezekiel 37:11-24 ESV

[11] Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are for the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’ [12] Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. [13] And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. [14] And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD.”

I Will Be Their God; They Shall Be My People

[15] The word of the LORD came to me: [16] “Son of man, take a stick and write on it, ‘For Judah, and the people of Israel associated with him’; then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph (the stick of Ephraim) and all the house of Israel associated with him.’ [17] And join them one to another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand. [18] And when your people say to you, ‘Will you not tell us what you mean by these?’ [19] say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am about to take the stick of Joseph (that is in the hand of Ephraim) and the tribes of Israel associated with him. And I will join with it the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, that they may be one in my hand. [20] When the sticks on which you write are in your hand before their eyes, [21] then say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all around, and bring them to their own land. [22] And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. And one king shall be king over them all, and they shall be no longer two nations, and no longer divided into two kingdoms. [23] They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions. But I will save them from all the backslidings in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

[24] “My servant David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall walk in my rules and be careful to obey my statutes.