Cheers for our loved ones that have gone before us.....
Cheers for our loved ones that have gone before us! Yesterday marked the 16 year anniversary of my mother's death. It seems like yesterday. While life goes on, I miss her so much and I lament the things she is missing out on. And then I think, she isn't missing out on anything!
God's Word tells us that he is our Creator (Gen 1:1). The great "I AM."(Ex 3:14) I believe the bible is God breathed and it is truth to live by. (2 Tim 3:16) So therefore, I believe in Heaven. I also believe that our loved ones who have gone before us, are watching over us and are waiting anxiously for us to join them. They are having a party with our Savior Jesus Christ, while we are down here struggling and being refined like gold, pruned by our Creator.(1 Pet 1:7)
I know that many of you have lost loved ones: grand-parents, parents, siblings......children. And I know you hurt. Please know that in writing this blog, I am thinking about you. Asking our LORD to lift you up. To strengthen you. We do not know God's ways. They are higher than our ways. (IS 55:9) We don't always know why one is taken and one is not. But please know that God's Word does tell us that God is for our good, for us to prosper and not for harm (Jer 29:11). We are his children, so I have to believe that all is for his glory.
That has to be hard to hear for some and I totally get that. I still hurt after 16 years. If I want to, I can recall every single detail of that dreadful day. There is a scripture that helps me when I am down. It basically tells us that God only gives us what we can handle. Now stay with me. Because for some, that would make you want to tear up this page (if it was paper) and throw it in the trash. I have been there. With the loss of my mother and with my health. I remember, driving to my mom's funeral (I lived in another state, several hours away), and looking at people thinking, "You are laughing?" "How can you laugh?" "Do you not know that my mother has died?"
And early on with my injury, I was misdiagnosed. Instead of being diagnosed correctly with a spinal cord injury, I was diagnosed with migraines. You can imagine the issues that the misdiagnosis resulted in: organs were no longer working properly, and I was in serious trouble. Doctor after doctor, hospital after hospital, I thought it would never end; without taking my life. I called out to God, asking him, "Why?" I was suffering so much, but so was my sweetheart (in many ways that was even more difficult). "I cannot handle this, take this from me!" But in a still small voice, in my spirit, I heard God say to me, Christ will strengthen you. So I searched scriptures to support this and I found Phil 4:13, I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. And a second scripture 2 Cor 12:9 My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.
In all of my fighting, 13 doctors in counting, I forgot to include Christ in the circle. I was a born fighter. I was a person to overcome adversity... by myself. Don't get me wrong, I loved Christ, he just was not in the forefront of my mind. If I was being really honest, he was someone in my "arsenal" that I leaned on when I thought of him or I deemed necessary.
Not any more. I learned by God's word to me in my spirit that day, that all is for His glory, and if I put Christ first, yoke to him (Matt 11:30), allow him to lead me through all situations, then I see things differently. I hear things differently. The situation does not change, how I respond to it does. He lifts me up. Christ has already gone before me and won, every battle. If I link up to him, then I see things as a battle won for him; as opposed to a battle lost for me here on earth.
The final nugget I will offer here is that when I go through the big stuff, other than recommending to dive into God's Word like a warm bath (of living water :) John 4:14). And talking to Abba to tell him how you feel. This may sound strange, but I read and re-read the crucifixion. I know that sounds gruesome. But in the early stages of my injury I was physically hurting so bad, and I was uncertain of my earthly future. I would read that story I KNOW that my God has been in shoes much bigger than mine! As a man, he suffered greatly (physically and emotionally). He died for me, only to live again, all to bring me life! In the end, after reading his story, I was refreshed. He knows me, my aches, my fears, my dreams (Gen 16:13). He hears my cry (PS 66:19). He understands my hurts and one day, because of him, when I pass from this earth, I will live again and be re-united with my loved ones who have gone before me. Jesus Christ, my Savior, I thank you and I praise you always! Praise to the KING!
God's Word tells us that he is our Creator (Gen 1:1). The great "I AM."(Ex 3:14) I believe the bible is God breathed and it is truth to live by. (2 Tim 3:16) So therefore, I believe in Heaven. I also believe that our loved ones who have gone before us, are watching over us and are waiting anxiously for us to join them. They are having a party with our Savior Jesus Christ, while we are down here struggling and being refined like gold, pruned by our Creator.(1 Pet 1:7)
I know that many of you have lost loved ones: grand-parents, parents, siblings......children. And I know you hurt. Please know that in writing this blog, I am thinking about you. Asking our LORD to lift you up. To strengthen you. We do not know God's ways. They are higher than our ways. (IS 55:9) We don't always know why one is taken and one is not. But please know that God's Word does tell us that God is for our good, for us to prosper and not for harm (Jer 29:11). We are his children, so I have to believe that all is for his glory.
That has to be hard to hear for some and I totally get that. I still hurt after 16 years. If I want to, I can recall every single detail of that dreadful day. There is a scripture that helps me when I am down. It basically tells us that God only gives us what we can handle. Now stay with me. Because for some, that would make you want to tear up this page (if it was paper) and throw it in the trash. I have been there. With the loss of my mother and with my health. I remember, driving to my mom's funeral (I lived in another state, several hours away), and looking at people thinking, "You are laughing?" "How can you laugh?" "Do you not know that my mother has died?"
And early on with my injury, I was misdiagnosed. Instead of being diagnosed correctly with a spinal cord injury, I was diagnosed with migraines. You can imagine the issues that the misdiagnosis resulted in: organs were no longer working properly, and I was in serious trouble. Doctor after doctor, hospital after hospital, I thought it would never end; without taking my life. I called out to God, asking him, "Why?" I was suffering so much, but so was my sweetheart (in many ways that was even more difficult). "I cannot handle this, take this from me!" But in a still small voice, in my spirit, I heard God say to me, Christ will strengthen you. So I searched scriptures to support this and I found Phil 4:13, I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. And a second scripture 2 Cor 12:9 My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.
In all of my fighting, 13 doctors in counting, I forgot to include Christ in the circle. I was a born fighter. I was a person to overcome adversity... by myself. Don't get me wrong, I loved Christ, he just was not in the forefront of my mind. If I was being really honest, he was someone in my "arsenal" that I leaned on when I thought of him or I deemed necessary.
Not any more. I learned by God's word to me in my spirit that day, that all is for His glory, and if I put Christ first, yoke to him (Matt 11:30), allow him to lead me through all situations, then I see things differently. I hear things differently. The situation does not change, how I respond to it does. He lifts me up. Christ has already gone before me and won, every battle. If I link up to him, then I see things as a battle won for him; as opposed to a battle lost for me here on earth.
The final nugget I will offer here is that when I go through the big stuff, other than recommending to dive into God's Word like a warm bath (of living water :) John 4:14). And talking to Abba to tell him how you feel. This may sound strange, but I read and re-read the crucifixion. I know that sounds gruesome. But in the early stages of my injury I was physically hurting so bad, and I was uncertain of my earthly future. I would read that story I KNOW that my God has been in shoes much bigger than mine! As a man, he suffered greatly (physically and emotionally). He died for me, only to live again, all to bring me life! In the end, after reading his story, I was refreshed. He knows me, my aches, my fears, my dreams (Gen 16:13). He hears my cry (PS 66:19). He understands my hurts and one day, because of him, when I pass from this earth, I will live again and be re-united with my loved ones who have gone before me. Jesus Christ, my Savior, I thank you and I praise you always! Praise to the KING!
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