One of the more intriguing notes in my stack of retirement cards had this handwritten sentence: "Thank you for doing all you could to save my miserable soul." How would you understand this sentence? I called them 'Mom' and 'Dad' before I really understood I would not be here without them. I came from them and some of my 'characteristics' (and character!) from physical appearance to gene pool reflect their essence in my life. I learned to call God 'Daddy' before I really understood I would not be here without God. If you would allow me (and I am going to say it anyway) my soul is from God. How then could it be miserable? That is not a characteristic of God!
Synonyms for miserable are helpful to my comments: bleak and forlorn-not too exciting a way to talk about oneself; wretched and godforsaken-now that's a little grim. These words may describe how I feel at times BUT they do not describe my soul. My soul may be affected by my behavior and choices which leave me feeling miserable, even godforsaken. BUT my soul was not infected at my birthing by wretchedness (allow me to blog another day about 'original sin').
My soul, your soul, is part of the gift of life, part of all that we are. I suspect we in the church have talked so long about our miserable souls that we have left any number of people feeling wretched and godforsaken. How could that which is God given be miserable?
I think I understand what my dear friend was saying to me and I deeply appreciate his compliment about the effect of my ministry in his life. However, I have not seen my role as 'saving' anyone's miserable soul. I have sought to help others celebrate the soulfulness of God that was, is, and always will be part of their lives. And, for me, that soul is described, not by synonyms, but by antonyms for miserable: cheerful, joyful, encouraged. These are characteristics of God and I pray you have discovered this 'gene pool' of God in your life. A chorus from one of our old hymns has always been important to me: "It is well with my soul."
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