Pictures and Sounds of Peace

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. (Psalm 30:5b)When the night lifts from the sky and the sorrow from our hearts, He remains faithful. When we trust Him with every anxious thought, He has promised His peace, one that is far beyond our horizons.

Good-bye Melinda

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. 2 Corinthians 4:7 KJV

Melinda loved puppies and horses, goats and bunnies. Her favorite trips were to the Amish farm in Strassburg where she could hold, feed and pet them all, and how we treasured our family visits with her there. How fragile all of our lives are will be told to us again today at her memorial service. Yet, while we are weeping and wondering all the why’s of her suffering and why she left so soon, I know she is now rejoicing in the presence of Jesus. For those of us who know Christ, the treasure we carry inside will never be lost, grow old or be destroyed. In the shortness of her time here, Melinda left her smile and special joy in seeing a reflexion of God in even His tiniest creatures. And we who are left behind for just a few more years must remember that our weeping today will only last for a short night, but real joy will come in God’s eternal morning. Good-bye sweet Melinda. See you again in God’s own time.

Arrival in Heaven

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!”