Life and Death – Again
It’s been a while since I wrote a blog. Life and death have intervened. Again.
My sister, Carol, passed into eternity this month.
It’s just short of a year when we lost our Mom. And this past year has been a difficult road to walk beside Carol. The last week, we sat beside her hospital bed, keeping vigil. I don’t really comprehend how a person in a coma can still have sleep and awake cycles, but sitting there, I somehow knew it.
I had the opportunity to pray with her, speak to her of God’s love.
Jesus said, “Look at Me. I stand at the door. I knock. If you hear Me call and open the door, I’ll come right in and sit down to supper with you” (Revelation 3:20, The Message paraphrase).
I don’t understand the inscrutable ways of the Holy Spirit. I can’t see or hear those ways. But the night before she passed, somehow, after giving Carol the invitation to open the door of her heart and let Jesus in, something in the air changed. I believe she swung that door open.
I heard in my spirit to let go, Carol’s eternity is in God’s hands. He has her.
God’s Mercies
I am so glad that God’s mercies are new every morning.
We are not crushed.
Our God is compassionate.
He is steadfast in his love for us.
We belong to Him.
We have hope.
We find our salvation in Him.
He knocks on the doors to our hearts and souls. He waits for us to bid Him enter. And when we do, He comes.
Always.
He is faithful.
As long as there is breath, there is time for Him to come for us.
If we ask, He does.
“Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion’, says my soul, ‘therefore I hope in Him!’ The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord” (Lamentations 3:22-26 NKJV).
Oh, my friend, I cannot fathom the cumulative weight of bearing of so much love and heartache alongside fear and personal history and quiet marvel and anticipatory grief and hope and ardent intercession and fatigue and mercurial emotions. God be with you gently in the hours and days ahead. Thanks for reminding us of mercies that arise new every morning. And that the Door opens wide to us all, again and again . . .
Thank you for your kindness, Laurie. Sometimes life on earth is hard to bear, especially when we lose those we love. But God is ever faithful. He keeps His promises and I am so grateful. May He keep you close, my friend.
Oh, Linda, I am so sorry you lost your sister, but so grateful for you of her eternal assurance. Losing my sister was so hard; I’ve never stopped grieving. And losing my mom two weeks before that was very hard. But like you, I rejoice every day that I will be with them again. Peace to you.
Thank you, Patti. God is good. You know how it goes to lose dear ones so close together. We all come to this, but He gives us grace. I am so grateful for it. Bless you my friend.