Exceedingly Beautiful

No one looked on you with pity or compassion to do any of these things for you. // Ezekiel 16:5

“It’s time for us to stop living like abandoned orphans.” 

The accuracy of my husband’s description made me laugh. Our lives had been recently rocked by loss of family and support. The Lord Who had tenderly cared for us through a season of deep sorrow now prompted us to move forward in hope because of Who He is. 

“You were neither washed with water nor anointed, nor were you rubbed with salt, nor swathed in swaddling clothes. No one looked on you with pity or compassion to do any of these things for you. Rather, you were thrown out on the ground as something loathsome” (Ezekiel 16:4-5).

If you feel deeply understood by the opening lines of today’s First Reading, the Lord has a clear message for you. If you have ever felt abandoned, neglected, or forgotten by someone who was meant to love you, the Lord is closer to you than you can imagine. 

The Lord is the One Who sees all your pain, coping, strategizing, and loneliness. He has never once abandoned, neglected, or forgotten you. Instead, as it is emphasized in the First Reading, He cares for you with immense, intentional love. 

When we allow Him to hold us, we see that, in Him, we have all the love and support we require. When we offer our love in return, we become “exceedingly beautiful” because of His grace (see Ezekiel 16:13).

“God is our Father. Mary is our Mother,” I affirmed in response to my husband. We smiled sincerely, because we knew it was the truth. 

The anecdote to our heartbreaks and disappointments is the Savior. So what is your great need today? What tender places are stoked by those opening lines? Jesus has pity on you. He loves you; He is coming to save you.