February 17, 2022

 

A Hard Journey

 

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. – Revelation 21:4

 

A sweet friend watches as her mother’s life slowly fades. She sees the signs and fights for answers, miracles, another way. She knows God is in control and her mother’s life is in His hands. But it’s still hard to let go and trust His infinite wisdom when the result will break her heart.

 

 We don’t know the day or time that death will arrive; only that it will. I want to ease my friend’s pain and insist that she’s wrong. I can’t. I’ve walked the path that she’s now on and, honestly, it’s devastating. There’s nothing and no one who can prepare you for the finality of death.

 

I know someone reading this wants to remind me that because of Jesus, death really isn’t final for those who believe. I know that. So does she. It’s something to cling to when death has come and dealt its blow. But, still, there is pain. Always, there is pain.

 

Perhaps it’s better not to know the day and the hour. Perhaps it’s easier to pretend death will never come. But how can we do that when death is all around us? How can we ignore what is right in front of us?

 

Death comes in a myriad of ways. Car accidents, heart attacks, cancer, age and disease. The list never ends. We predict and we prepare only to learn that we never really understood how unpredictable our days really are.

 

We always think we’ve got more time. We truly believe tomorrow will come for us and those we love. Until one day it doesn’t. Do you know Jesus? Is He Lord of your life or are you merely going through the motions of faith? One day it will be too late to decide.

 

There’s something special about watching someone you love take their final breath on this earth and knowing they have opened their eyes in Heaven. As hard as it is, there’s also a peace and realization of what’s truly important.

November 12, 2019

Prepare for Darkness

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” – John 8:12

Winter arrived today, its wind blowing furiously as the temperatures dropped. Yesterday was a picture-perfect fall day. Temperatures in the 70's with the sun shining brightly. What a difference a few hours can make.

Isn’t that just like life? We’re going along enjoying our days and basking in the merry-go-round of daily activities. Then, in what seems like a moment, everything changes. The illness, the car wreck, the shattered relationship, the job loss. Where light once had free-reign we see nothing but darkness.

Yesterday, while the light of fall rang true, we prepared for today’s freezing temperatures. We covered pipes, unhooked hoses, carried plants inside to safety. We prepared for the darkness and gloom of today. Why? Because we knew it was coming.

It’s the same with life. The time to prepare for the onslaught of tragedy and grief and out-of-control lives is when everything is fine. We know life is filled with ups and downs, good times and bad times. So we build our foundation on the rock who is Jesus Christ. That way, when the storm comes, He will be our secure and safe place to ride it out.

What are you doing today to prepare for an uncertain tomorrow? Do you read and study God’s Word? Do you pray, thanking God for His amazing blessings and asking for guidance? Do you do good where you can? Do you prioritize people, build relationships, give graciously to build His kingdom?

Life gets so busy sometimes. Too busy. We always think we’ve got another day to make that phone call or watch that flag football game. We think we’ve got ample chances to read the book or rock the baby or attend church. But sometimes that day in the future never comes. And sometimes our lives are so devastated that those wishes are destroyed forever.

Prepare for the coming darkness. Lay your foundation on Jesus. In light or darkness, cling to the One who knows the way.

February 13, 2016

Prepare Yourself For God

no weapon forged against you will prevail,
and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
and this is their vindication from me,”
declares the Lord

-- Isaiah 54:17

There’s a scene in the movie Facing the Giants where a man who earlier was shown walking the halls and praying for the school comes in to talk with the coach. He tells the coach not to worry about losing his job because only God can remove him and God isn’t ready to do that yet.

The coach follows him into the hall and asks if the man really believes God told him to share that with the coach. Then the man tells a story about two men who asked God to send rain. One waited for God to send the rain. The other went out and prepared his fields in preparation for the rain he knew God would send.

Which one had the greater faith? The one who prepared his fields because he knew God would answer his prayer.

What are you waiting for? Are you standing idle while you wait for God to perform some miracle? Are you sitting down lazily waiting for God to prepare your path?

There’s a difference between waiting for God’s directive and remaining idle during the waiting process. God calls us to be worker bees, even when the task is simply preparing for what’s to come.

In the movie the coach devised a plan and changed his coaching philosophy. In so doing, he changed his players. This allowed God to work greatly through all of them -- when the time was right. Had the coach not prepared for God’s movement, nothing ever would have happened.

What is God calling you to do? How can you prepare for where He will lead you? Spend time in prayer and with the Bible. Listen to what He says. And prepare for a great work that He will surely do in your life.

January 22, 2016

Prepare For When You’re Gone

Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

-- Psalm 139:16

One of the most difficult things we do on this earth is prepare for the time we will leave it. We need to make our wishes known, in writing, but it’s not as easy as it sounds. We want to procrastinate, to put it off for another day. There is no guarantee that another day will come.

We know that this is not our home. Thankfully, I might add. This is just temporary. But our minds can’t conceive how wonderful heaven will be. We can’t imagine not being here. And that’s what preparing for death is all about -- imagining what will happen when we aren’t here anymore.

I am looking forward to heaven. I can’t wait to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to Him talk. I want to hear the stories of old from those who lived the moments. And I desperately want to hug my loved ones who have already gone home.

That doesn’t mean I want to think about the time when I’m not here to have a say in what happens to what I valued when I was alive. So I take steps to make sure I do have a say, that my wishes are honored, that people I trust will handle it all.

I’ve also taken steps to ensure that the end of my life comes as it should. I’ve seen friends who agonized over end of life decisions because they weren’t sure what their loved one wanted. I don’t want there to be any doubts. I don’t want to be here with my body tethered to machines with no hope of recovery. Let me go. It takes a strong person to make that call. It takes a person of faith. The decision comes easier when wishes are made known ahead of time.

I have no idea how long I’ll live on this earth. None of us do. God numbers our days. Prepare for the trip home by preparing what you’ll leave behind.