Arrival in Heaven

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Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.                   1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV

Rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks put the circumstances of our lives, both good and bad into God’s hands and help us see them through His eyes. Last night our beloved daughter-in-law Melinda slipped from this world into the presence of Jesus. And while we are overwhelmed with grief and shock, these words are promises to which we cling. Melinda has finished her race. Her battle with cancer is finished. And while that pernicious disease claimed her physical life, it could not touch her soul. That remained fully and exclusively in the hands of Jesus with whom she now lives. Nancy and I didn’t know how to process the news that came in three words. “She is gone.” Yet as sadness rolls over my heart I sense the message echo back from Heaven, ” She has arrived!”

Morning on the Back Porch

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Dawn would be too nice of a description for the gray morning light gradually brightening today’s cloudy sky. But one dove welcomes our morning, sunny or not, with her gentle cooing. Then a mockingbird wipes sleep from his eyes and begins running through his seemingly limitless repertoire of borrowed songs. Not to be outdone one far less glamorous crow, perches on the crown of our roof and loudly proclaims that morning is here: it’s time to wake up and get going for the day! All these members of God’s choir know something about rejoicing in the moment that I too easily forget.

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night, Psalm 92:1-2 NKJV

I confess that with the multiplying of aches and pains, the complications of family issues and the sadness of unfulfilled dreams, that mornings often come with their own chilly spiritual fog. But God has not left Himself without a witness, and when I sit quietly and listen, He sends messengers to wake my heart up again and hope in Him. In the words of the carol, by Longfellow:

“Then pealed the bells
More rich and deep
God is not dead nor doth He sleep,”
Christmas Bells

There is a hope we may find far better than doves, mockingbirds, and crows. A song deeper still than church bells and a dawn that breaks behind any gray sky, because though the darkness of the cross lies ahead, Easter is coming. Jesus watches us through our night seasons, and the depth of His love brightens our grayest morning and shines through even our darkest night!

Even Now

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“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” John 11:21-22 ESV

The Bible plainly tells us that Jesus loved Martha, and maybe one of the things Jesus loved so much about her was her outspoken way of saying everything that was in her heart. Whether she was complaining about her sister, inviting Jesus into her home, or sending for him in her time of need, Martha was always direct. I have so often heard of her failures and preoccupation with the duties of the pots and pans, yet there was also in her a unique ability to grow because she held nothing back.

In our own daily dealings with Jesus, it is often easier to pray in our religious way and do our religious duty, than to really tell God what is on our mind. So often we fail to grow in our faith because we are hiding behind what we feel is acceptable and we deny Jesus the chance to enter the conversation. But even now, if in complete honesty, we tell Him all our heart He can still do far more than we could ever imagine!

Just Another Day at Nursing Home!

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Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. John 11:5-6 ESV

“Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so,” are the words to a song that practically everybody knows, and here is a Bible verse that starts with a list of some of those folks. The puzzling thing to me here is that Jesus loved them, but it appears He decided to do absolutely nothing to help out. Is that what it feels like in your prayer life sometimes I know that it certainly seems the case for the people in the nursing homes I visit. Each week we come and sing, serve communion and pray, but each week the crowd sits in their wheelchairs, maybe one of them is in the hospital, or another has passed away. “Where is Jesus? “, we might ask. The astonishing, perplexing and confusing answer is that He is right where He was 2,000 years ago that afternoon in Bethany. He is sitting and waiting for the right time to come and tell Martha the most wonderful news of all. “I am the resurrection and the life… Do you believe this?” (verses 25-26). Yes, in spite of how it seems and no matter how confusing things appear, Jesus is the resurrection, and the worse things appear, the better will be His coming.

Some people have commented on this blog about how important it is to do nursing home outreach but are unsure of where or how to start. This week’s message gives a pretty accurate glimpse into how this wonderful mixed-up ministry functions. Doors slam. People are wheeled in (and out), the loudspeaker occasionally gives announcements, and the lunch ladies wheel their carts through on their way to residents who can’t get out of their rooms. My prayer is that you will be encouraged to see that through all the craziness, Jesus still reaches out and touches hearts and touches hearts because no matter how long hopes have lain in their graves, Jesus is still the Resurrection and the Life!