The Sheer Sweetness of Swollen Graves: Why I Marvel at God's Chosen Burial
Hey friends, isn't it just amazing how God works in the most unexpected ways? I've been thinking a lot lately about how even in the face of what seems like absolute despair, there’s this weird, underlying sweetness to be found if we just look hard enough. Today, my mind is stuck on the idea of graves—not just any graves, but *swollen* graves. Yep, those full-to-bursting burial places we read about in the Bible. It might seem morbid, I know, but trust me on this one.
I was reading through Ezekiel the other day, and bam! There it was: “And the graves shall be opened, and they shall know that I am the Lord” (Ezekiel 37:13). Now, for most, that's a scary image, right? But for me, it sparked this incredible feeling of awe. It’s like, even in the darkness of death and the finality of burial, God is still at work, creating this picture of overflowing abundance. It’s not just a grave, but a grave so full it’s practically bursting! You see, God doesn’t do anything halfway; even His destruction is complete, overwhelming, and in its own way, beautiful.
I remember when my grandma passed away. It was heartbreaking, of course, but even then, there was this strange sense of completion, of a life fully lived. The funeral was packed; people were standing outside. It wasn’t just an end; it was this swelling testament to the impact she had on so many lives. It reminded me of those verses in John about how a single grain of wheat must fall to the ground and die to produce many others (John 12:24). I can imagine those biblical graves, overflowing with the physical remains of people like my grandma, each one representing a life that touched others, a life that planted seeds for something more. Those swollen graves are not just places of endings, but also places of potential beginnings.
Think about it, we get caught up in the idea of graves as something to be avoided, this dark and dismal place. But when you think of it through God's lens, it is different. These swollen graves in the Bible, they’re like these powerful symbols of God's ability to transform even the most hopeless situations into something profound. We see so many examples of this in scriptures. The Israelites walking out of Egypt was a type of death and rebirth, the old life gone, and the new life waiting in the promised land (Exodus 14:22). Jonah in the belly of the whale, a metaphorical grave, and then a literal resurrection from the deep (Jonah 2:10). Jesus in the tomb, only to rise again. They’re all examples of how God can even use the place of death for his glory.
It makes you think about the things in our own lives we see as endings. Maybe a job loss, a broken relationship, or a dream that didn’t come to pass. These experiences feel like our own little personal graves, but maybe, just maybe, they are meant to be swollen. Full of all the lessons we learned, the growth we experienced, and the possibilities that now lie waiting. It doesn’t make them less painful, but it does add a layer of meaning. It means God’s not done, and He's still working in the mess of life.
I find so much comfort in this idea. It helps me to not be afraid of the hard stuff, the dark stuff, because I know it’s in those places that God often does His most amazing work. He takes what looks like an end and turns it into a launching pad for something new, something fuller, and something sweeter, a vessel full to bursting. This week, I’m trying to embrace the “swollen graves” in my own life, looking for the little hints of God's hand, even where things look most final. What "swollen grave" are you looking at right now? How can you find the beauty that God can make out of that place? I’d love to hear your thoughts.