When you are empty and wondering if it was worth it, it means you’re valuing what God values.
When you are broken-hearted and swollen with tears, it means you are craving the kingdom and recognize its absence.
When you learn to think and fight and dream in third ways, it means you are beginning to grow your kingdom legs.
When you realize how far you still have to go and it leaves you moving humbly and curiously, it means you will become who you hope to become.
When you make room and offer love to those who should be kicked out and chewed out, it means you are learning to welcome yourself the way you’ve already been welcomed.
When you see beauty and hope and artistry in everything, it means you are learning to see with the eyes of your maker.
When you stand on the line between those fighting against each other and call for a ceasefire, you resemble your father more than you ever have before.
When you live in ways that speak to something deep and true and it lands you in hot water, it means you have found the ways of living that challenge the present and speak to the future.
When you live like me, and look like me, and forgive like me, and make peace like me, and love like me and get chewed out and spoken down to and looked crossways at and released from your position for, you’ve found what you’re looking for and you’ll never be happy again unless you live into what you’ve discovered. And don’t think you’re the first; you come from a long line of rule breakers.
djordan
Pine Tree Dr.
Add your own version of the beatitudes in the comments below.
most hopeful 
When you don’t care about clawing for and claiming your little corner of the prize, you will inherit the whole earth.
Donald,
I hope you are writing a book. Or planning to. Or at least will take all these musings and publish them someday. My heart is continually blessed by your gift and your work.
-G
P.S. – I’m sure you’ve read The Divine Conspiracy by Willard? Forever changes the way I see the beatitudes, not as prescriptives, but as an informative — this is the way the new kingdom works. Live ye in it.
Beautiful, beautiful. Our church family is living in the Sermon on the Mount for the next few months. Bookmarking this to come back to & dwell on.
Very well put. I envy how well you’re learning to speak the new language.