Blood Relatives: Sisters By The Blood

Ephesians 1:7

English Standard Version (ESV)

⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses,according to the riches of his grace,

Colossians 1:20

English Standard Version (ESV)

²⁰ and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven,making peace by the blood of his cross.

1 John 1:7

English Standard Version (ESV)

⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

Revelation 1:5

English Standard Version (ESV)

⁵ and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.   To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood

Hebrews 9:22

English Standard Version (ESV)

²² Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
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AWKWARD THOUGHTS by Me

As I begin my post, if you are a man reading my blog today, you need to know, as if it wasn't already made clear in my blog's web address, that this post is for women.  I am speaking to women since I am one.  This post is about a deep thought I have been having for many years now and it needs to be expressed, not because it is going to be fun or entertaining. It is just a reality women face that I believe gets overlooked or avoided in the Christian community. That being said, I will begin.

As an artist of some sort, I have wondered about why certain emotions are depicted in specific colors or color combinations. The colors of the rainbow are used in art to calm, to inspire, to awaken, evoke, and to clarify/cleanse. And I have been thinking of something since we had our holiday of St. Valentine's Day this year here in the United States. I have been thinking about why love, affection, intimacy, brotherly/sisterly love, kindness, God's love for mankind and things of the love category are depicted, remembered, characterized in the color red. The color red historically represents the heart. The heart can refer to, as you already know, the actual organ that pumps blood or the emotional/spiritual heart that expresses passion, love or sacrifice.  This is all what I call a "no duh!" thought.  But then my thoughts go further with the color red.

Love is represented as red because of a heart's job of pumping blood.....which is red. This is a thing we know. HA! Hang in there with me, I'm getting to my point. Then my mind wanders further. God's love is depicted in the sending of His only Son Jesus Christ to die on a cross, shedding His blood to save the people of the world from their sins.....to reconcile the people to Himself when they come to belief in His Son as the only way to God.  And here's the part I'm getting to...

As women, we experience a monthly encounter with blood.  Somehow we make it through that time of the month without thinking too deeply on what's happening.  However, regardless of how inappropriate this topic might seem to be heading, I hope you will track with me for a few minutes.

Can it be that God in His deep and abiding love for us allows us to experience this uncomfortable, unclean, awkward, humbling time of the month just to remind us of His deep love for us-----the sending His only Son Jesus to die on a cross (a gruesome death), shedding his blood.....to die in our place in order to give us new life?

Many of us, if not all of us women on this planet, do not enjoy/look forward to the time of the month when we have "our cycle".  It's no fun, ever.  Can it be that God allows us to experience it so that we can draw closer to Jesus Christ, embracing the truth of the story that has forever changed history and has forever changed us (those who have believed Jesus Christ is the Son of God, as Savior of the world)?  Can it be that we experience this whole "having a cycle" business because God knows we will be VERY equipped to better grasp the idea of Christ's blood washing us clean of our sins?

Must I go further?  Do you realize God deeply loves you??  Do you and I understand that even in that time of the month that is SO painful, uncomfortable, humbling,......let's just say it----gross, that God is trying to show his daughters that His Son Jesus paid for all of our debts by the shedding of His own blood on a cross?  Do you and I understand that while we often ask during that time of the month, "Why God??  Why do you have us experience this awfulness each month??", God is looking down on us with SO MUCH LOVE longing for us to get the good message---that even His perfect and holy Son Jesus asked His Father why as He hung on a cross?  Do you and I see God's love for us during that yucky time of the month because we are reminded of the power of God raising Christ from the dead, seating the Lord Jesus at His right hand in heaven? During that time, do you and I have a fresh understanding that the truth of Christ wins, that Christ is the victor---in all battles and wars because of his death on the cross and because of His resurrection from the dead?  Maybe God is giving us women a deep privilege through this monthly aggravation called a period so that we will better understand the shedding of Christ's blood and it's cleansing power SO AS TO GO AND SHARE THIS AMAZING MESSAGE OF GRACE AND REDEMPTION WITH THOSE IN OUR WORLD.

Ultimately, what keeps coming back to my mind when I think about why we women have to experience that monthly process is: God's love for us.  He loves us so much that He wants to monthly (and also daily through the reading of His Word) remind us the power of Christ's sacrifice on the cross.

So, I must stop typing. I feel as if I have said this TOO many different ways.  But I hope you are alerted to a new perspective on something that has been "plaguing" the women of this earth since the very first woman.  It's seems that the Good News of Christ was found even in the first Eve's monthly cycle and she didn't even know it. haha!

AM I CRAZY?!  TALK TO ME ABOUT THIS IF YOU THINK I AM!

Blessings to you all. Thanks for reading this.