For
everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to
be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. ... A time to
cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. Ecclesiastes 3:1-2, 4
Death. A time
to die. That will happen to us all someday…at some time. It is part of life.
And then there is the grieving, the mourning that takes place. It may start way
before death occurs. I had a theory almost forty years ago that when someone
dies we grieve not only that death but all the deaths that touched our lives
before, if we have not completed that mourning process. I lost a dear cousin
and wasn’t able to say goodbye to her or go to her funeral since we were living
overseas at the time. I still miss her and unexpectantly think I see her in a
store or somewhere…but no she is not here. I've been to the cemetery where she is buried. She is not there. I am grateful that she knew the Lord
as her Savior and I will see her, as well as other family members and friends,
in Heaven one day. Jesus gave us a promise, if we believe, we will never die.
That is a spiritual death.
Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the
life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives
in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this,
Martha?" John 11:25-26
It is the
physical death that we deal with, and the Martha in that scripture passage was
facing after the death of her brother Lazarus. Physical death is what we mourn.
There is a time to be born…and a time to die. We live. We die. That is part of
being human. Well, it is actually part of life on earth. Look around you—this
is autumn and we have lost most of the leaves off the trees. Not only people
die, but dear pets die. Hunters are out hunting elk, deer, turkey, pheasants,
ducks and geese whenever they are permitted to do so. Life ceases.
Our hope is
in life going on spiritually. Believe and you will be saved. Spiritually.
Prayer
~ Lord, You told us in Isaiah… Good people pass away; the godly often die before their time. But no
one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to understand that God is
protecting them from the evil to come. Isaiah 57. Thank you for protection from
evil, but please give us grace to deal with death, with loss. Strengthen those
who have recently lost a dear one, giving them Your peace and helping them to
find a new normal with joy.
Daily
Bible Reading: Acts 4-6
Only
38 Days Until Christmas
© 2019 Text and
photos by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
Unless
otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation,
copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of
Tyndale House
Publishers, Inc. Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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1 comment:
Beautiful! Thank you, Mickey. On another note, really only 38 days until Christmas? Wasn’t it just a few months ago, like 6 or so?
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