death is death.

"It kills me sometimes, how people die." 

- Markus Zusak

There is no feeling quite as surreal and sobering as realizing that while you are immersed in happy routine, someone else has descended into the very lowest part of the valley; realizing that your five minutes of monotone is someone else's test.

There is also no feeling quite waiting for news. Waiting for your fears to be confirmed or denied. Waiting to find out if someone has run the last steps of their race and has made it to the finish line. Sometimes it hits suddenly and the only thing your heart feels for awhile after is the impact of the blow, like if a soccer ball hits you in the face and after it's gone you still feel like it's there.

I have never been in the position of having someone die who was very close to me. I have, however, experienced how death in one's broad, general circle of friends can ripple through and take a piece of everyone's heart. It's one of those things that doesn't depend on many factors. Death is death. That's all.

So when death springs up from it's lair to deliver a blow, it brings with it deep-seated fears and anxieties. Sometimes it brings unbridled terror. It comes like a phantom in the night; like a draft of cold air that makes you shiver despite your heavy clothing. And it never, ever leaves you untouched. It doesn't matter what the situation. Death is death.

And God is Life.

Death was defeated when Jesus resurrected, and it will be defeated for eternity when Jesus returns to take his own to eternal felicity. Happy, happy thought.

I don't know what I'd do without hope, because death is awful.

"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

- Revelation 21:4

 

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christmas + hope + tears + joy + eternity

     I have been thinking about heaven a lot lately; how in comparison this world is dark, and foggy, and temporary. So very temporary. I've been thinking about how all the Christians will be living together, forever, in heaven. 

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Revelation 21:4

That verse from Revelation literally brings me to tears of joy. In heaven, death and mourning and crying won't exist. I can't count all the times I have cried on this earth because of a painful experience I went through. Thinking about how, in heaven, I won't have a reason to do that anymore, is beautiful. I can't even say how beautiful that is. NO PAIN ANYMORE. In heaven, we'll experience joy after joy and we will walk day by day by day forever in this perfect, untainted, eternal joy with the light of our beloved Jesus as the sun. 

     I can't wait to see my Jesus. 

I can just imagine running into his arms, and finally seeing him who helped me through the trials of life on the earth. Oh, to actually SEE with my eyes my wonderful Savior! To have walked by faith and not by sight for so long, being "strong in the Lord and in his mighty power," and then to have sin banished from me and all pain and suffering gone. Forever. I'm crying as I write this. :)

     It's amazing to me that Jesus left all that splendor and joy and perfect peace and happiness in heaven to appear in this dark, gloomy, foggy, sin-saturated world. And all for love. He experienced a painful death completely opposite to everything in heaven, and thus opened the door for us to have hope of being free from ultimate death. It's amazing. It's amazing that Jesus would love us so much. 

     I think this is really what Christmas is all about. The hope of being with the Savior for eternity. Jesus came, he ministered, he died, he rose, he ascended, and he will return. Whether we reach our true home through the death of our bodies, or if we live until he comes again into this dark world, we, as Christians, will finally live the life of Eden; the life Adam and Eve lived before they fell. We will finally be relieved from the suffering and pain and grief of this fleeting life. Finally. Then we will see our God. Oh, beautiful, beautiful thought. 

     I think about all of the pain I have gone through and am experiencing now, and think about how I cry out to Jesus to help me. I think about how he does help me, though it may not be the way I expect or want. Then I think about how when I leave this sinful world behind, I will SEE that very same Jesus who was listening to my pleas for help, and I will rest in his arms and be free of all pain forever.

     I repeated myself quite a bit, I know. I just can't get past the wonder and the beauty of it all. 

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2

He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

Revelation 22:20

On that note, Merry Christmas!

-Sarah :)

be still my soul

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on your side

Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain

Leave to your God to order and provide

In every change, he faithful will remain

Be still, my soul: your best, your heavenly friend

Through thorny ways, leads to a joyful end

Be still, my soul: your God will undertake

To guide the future as he has the past

Your hope, your confidence, let nothing shake

All now mysterious shall be bright at last

Be still, my soul: the waves and wind still know

His voice who ruled them while they dwelt below

Be still my soul: the hour is hastening on

When we shall be forever with the Lord

When disappointment, grief and fear are gone

Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored

Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past

All safe and blessed we shall meet at last

     I had forgotten about this hymn. I was singing (I'm always singing, and nearly always looking for something new to sing), and I thought of this one. I started singing it, and when I got to the line "in every change, he faithful will remain," I lost it. I tried to keep singing, but it was hard because I was crying.

     Lately, I have still been struggling with all the change and the sadness, disappointment, et cetera that comes with it. Most of the time I'm fine; I forget that it's hard and enjoy life. It was one of those times when I started singing "Be Still My Soul." Singing "in every change, he faithful will remain" dug out the emotions I have in the times I'm struggling. 

     This really is an incredible hymn. I want to take a minute and talk about what it means for me.

In every change, he faithful will remain

Be still my soul: your best, your heavenly friend

Through thorny ways, leads to a joyful end

     Jesus is my best friend. He is always faithful. He's the still, never-changing rock above my swirling, changing, chaotic life. I know that though he leads me through thorny ways, I will reach that joyful end.

Your hope, your confidence, let nothing shake

All now mysterious shall be bright at last

Be still my soul: the waves and wind still know

His voice who ruled them while he dwelt below.

     God is in control of the waves and the wind: he rules them just as he calmed them when he was incarnate on the earth. I may not be able to control my circumstances, but God has it all under his control.

When disappointment, grief and fear are gone

Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored

     All I can say is that I can't wait for when there will be no such thing as disappointment, grief, or fear.  Revelation 21:4 says: "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." As Christians, love's purest joys will be ours like they once were for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. 

Have you found any songs recently that God used to speak to you?

-Sarah :)

     

fiery trial - part 5 (more on revelation)

     I posted awhile ago that I had had a revelation about God's plan, but I wanted to expound more on it in this post.
   
     Last Wednesday I posted Hebrews 2:8. It's my new favorite verse. It speaks perfectly to me in the season of my life. Here it is again:

Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him.

     I have heard multiple times from various sources that we can not see all of God's plan, and that he has a bigger purpose than what I can determine. Hearing that comforted me - for a while. But it just didn't stick. This morning as I was reading Hebrews in my quiet time, I came upon this verse. I had heard this truth from other people, but never directly from my God! Hearing it from Jesus himself really instilled it into me.
     Something else that is really connecting with me is the fact that Jesus understands. He experienced trial and suffering when he was on the earth, not just on the cross, but throughout the whole 33 year period he was here as a man. He's not inflicting this on me because he thinks I'm due for something hard in my life. Jesus knows that this very thing will break me and then shape me into a person who is more like him. He can sympathize with me. Sympathy is such a beautiful word: "sym" comes from the Greek for "same," and the rest comes from "pathos," which is Greek for "feeling." Jesus had the same feelings as I am experiencing right now. He knows! This is vastly comforting to me.
   
     Do you have a Scripture verse or passage that speaks to you in a similar way that this one does to me? Have you ever had a revelation from God about something that caused you to see God's plan more clearly?

-Sarah :)

 
     

Wednesday Verse

     For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

Revelation 7:17

MORE ON REVELATION

"And [John] knew that the ending of The Story was going to be so great, it would make all the sadness and tears and everything seem like just a shadow that is chased away by the morning sun.

'I'm on my way,' said Jesus. 'I'll be there soon!'

John came to the end of his book. But he didn't write 'The End.' Because, of course, that's how stories finish. (And this one's not over yet.)

So instead, he wrote: 'Come quickly, Jesus!'

Which, perhaps, is really just another way of saying. . .

To be continued. . .

- The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd Jones