Tears of Sadness, of Joy

Saying Goodbye

 Today, Glen and I have had some difficult tasks to accomplish. 

A ministry we have loved for twelve years has come to an end.  Another one, which we have wanted to be able to add to our schedule will be taking its place.  We have had to tell people we love dearly we will no longer be with them.

Leaving a place is rarely easy, but in this case, it is very sad.  We have come to love the people in this congregation.  They are thoughtful, kind, caring, and loving individuals.  As a body of believers, they are unparalleled.  The thought of rarely seeing them again breaks my heart. Glen and I have shed many tears over this and I don't suspect we are finished crying yet.

Now, you are probably thinking to yourself, "Frannie, in this day and time, everyone can keep in touch as much as they want."   Yes, that is true.  But I have been separated from work friends well enough to know that it rarely happens that way.  Without shared experiences, it is harder to connect with each other.

I am reminded of the tender story in Acts when the Apostle Paul is leaving Ephesus.  He had just prayed for these believers and the Scriptures tell us,

"And they wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him, sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake, that they should see his face no more,"  Acts20:37,38.

Today I can truly feel how those Ephesians felt.  But, just as Paul felt called to go somewhere else, so do we.  Thankfully though, for we who believe, there is coming a day.  There is coming a great day.

"For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God:  and the dead in Christ shall rise first:  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air:  and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  Wherefore comfort one another with these words."  1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

Several months ago a well-loved nursing colleague of mine passed away unexpectedly.  She and I had both worked in our unit for over thirty years.  The day of her funeral was a day of reunions.  I saw nurses I had not seen literally in decades, some of whom I loved dearly.  I would not have finished hugging one, before another would catch my eye and I would be hugging her.  We all cried for the passing of our dear friend, but we also joyed in our reunions. 

This is what we have ahead of us. As believers we will have all eternity together. That moment, when we are all joined together to meet our Lord will be one of great reunion with each other.  Then, the most blessed moment of all, when we see our Lord for the first time.  We will likely all shed tears of joy, and we will all share this glorious moment together!  Think of how we will talk of it among ourselves for eons to come.

Eternity. . .the joys, the laughter, the love we have shared in this life will be but a sad memory compared to the glory of living together with our Lord.  Oh, what days we will have!  What a glorious eternity we will have!  

Our best days are ahead!

 

"We Got This!

 

Since I (mostly) retired in September, I have been able to be more consistent with an exercise regimen.  For my workouts, I used an app with online trainers.  The trainers can't see me, but they talk as if they can.

Many of you who at one time or another have had exercise instructors know how they talk when they are trying to rally you to continue.  "You can do this!"  is one of the more positive phrases you might hear.  Some instructors however will be almost bullying, "Don't you dare quit now!"  

Yesterday, the instructor said something I found very encouraging.  Toward the end of a fairly difficult arm workout, when the muscles had been fully worked and were tired, he said, "We can do this.  I know your muscles are burning, and mine are too, but we can work through any burn.  We got this!"

"We."  

That makes a big difference, doesn't it?  By using that word he not only gave encouragement but also the feeling there was someone along with in the suffering.

My mother died 26 years ago today.  She had cancer, and we knew the direction in which things were heading.  It was a very difficult time.  While we knew what was going to happen, we didn't know when or how, and that added to the stress of the situation.  Also, my father had died four months before, so it was grief upon grief.  

It was especially difficult to go to work in Labor and Delivery where everyone was so happy.  I was truly happy for the families I cared for, and I tried to be happy with them, but my heart was often too heavy to truly share in their joy.  

I received strength from knowing I was not alone.   While I could not hear the Lord speaking to me audibly, if I could have, I believe He would have been encouraging me like the fitness instructor, "Frannie, we can do this."  "We."  I may not have heard the words, but I certainly felt them in my spirit.  He was there, with me, strengthening, encouraging, comforting, and loving me with each step.

For His children, He will always be there.  There will never be a day when He is not loving us, encouraging us, and comforting us.  He will be for us all we need in every moment if we trust Him to be so.  He loves us so very much more than we can ever begin to realize.

"I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

Hebrews 13:5

"I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."

Matthew 28:20

"I have loved thee with an everlasting love."

Jeremiah 31:3

In the Shadow

 

Every day (except Sundays) we try to take a long walk.  We enjoy having our three-year-old beagle, Ellie, along with us.  She thoroughly enjoys these walks, sniffing and snuffling most of the way.  During the summer months (which in our area begins mid-April and continues until mid-October) we must be cautious she doesn't get too hot.  We give her water frequently and try to opt for routes with abundant shade.  

One thing I try to do on the sunny stretches is to keep her in front of me. Beagles were bred to be ahead of the hunter and she seems to prefer this.  The reason I do it, though, is so I can position myself between her and the sun.  I try to keep her in my shadow.  Since she doesn't know where my shadow is, she sometimes steps outside of that which is protecting her from direct sunlight.  Immediately, I readjust so she is once again in my shadow.  This happens numerous times during our walk.  I never tire of adjusting my steps, because I love her and I'm glad to protect her.  Often when I am moving so my shadow falls over her, I think of this verse:

Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of Thy wings, Psalm 17:8

The Scriptures are full of references to us being under the shadow of His wings, or shadowed in safety by our Lord.

How excellent is Thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings.        Psalm 36:7

Because Thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of Thy wings will I rejoice.                                                                         Psalm 63:7

For Thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.     Isaiah 25:4

How often have we, like Ellie, unknowingly tried to walk out of the shadow of our Lord?  And unbeknownst to us, He quickly adjusts to keep us in that shadow.   His heart is ever to care for us.

 In Him we are safe, we are protected, we are loved.  As the Psalmists tell us, His lovingkindness to us is excellent.  He is our Help, our Strength and we can always put our trust "under the shadow of Thy wings."

"Lord, Thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations."

Psalm 90:1

The Trampled Lilies

Our calla lilies

 I love Spring.

I love the bright green of the new leaves on the trees, the blue of the skies and the flowers coming up and pushing their pretty faces to the sun.  

Every day our dog Ellie and I review the flowers in the garden to see what is blooming, what is not (and why not?) and to see which plant the neighborhood cat has used as a bed this time.  Last night she slept on a group of calla lilies which were young enough to have their stalks snapped in two.

I don't remember when the cat first arrived, but as long as I have had flowers in this bed, she has been thinking I literally mean bed.  She has squashed all manner of flowers and each year I try some new trick to keep her from doing it.   Ellie even tries to chase her away when she sees her outside, but the cat always comes back.

I realize the cat isn't maliciously trying to destroy my flowers.  She is a cat that has no home and seeks what comfort she can.  I feel sorry for her.   After all, the lilies will come back up next year.

We all have people who come into our lives and in some way irritate, aggravate, annoy or disturb us.  Perhaps they harm something we care for.  Maybe they simply pose an inconvenience to us.  Regardless of their intent, it will be a great temptation to give in to those initial feelings of resentment, irritation and disturbance.  But those negatives present us with a great choice.  A choice of faith.  Will we believe that those feelings are the essence of who we are, or are we those who, by faith in the Lord Jesus, have His Holy Spirit abiding within us?  The choice is ours and how we choose will determine how we respond.

But how we choose does not just affect us, it can also affect the person causing the disturbance in our lives.  An act of undeserved mercy toward a person can often point them in the direction of  the King of Mercy in a way all the sermons on the earth cannot.  That one act of kindness may soften a hardened heart more than anything else.

I used to have a sign in my Dining Room that read,

"Only God and people are eternal.  Everything else is just stuff."  

What is the most important things in our interactions with others?  First of all, knowing the Lord is at work in every moment of every person's life, drawing them closer to Himself.  Secondly, that we are called to "walk as He walked" in love and kindness to others.  

Everything else is just stuff...including calla lilies.

"He that saith he abideth in Him 

ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked."

I John 2:6

"And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour."

Ephesians 5:2