Category Archive

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.  Hebrews 12:2

When a day is stretched out before you, brand new like an undisturbed canvas, God’s grace provides the opportunity for it to be filled somehow. The day may be used for worship and witness. Hours may be filled with work and enterprise. They may be used to engage in study and learning. Time may be spent on recreation and frolic. Somehow, the empty canvas will record life’s hours. However days are spent, personal choices dictate the results.

Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. Surely, the Author and Finisher of our faith is at our side daily and through our nights of sleep to give of His presence and share in the daily choices and engagements of the day. He is the One who writes truth on our hearts and He is the One who guides us to the finishing line of life. If one believes in Jesus as personal Lord and Saviour, then one can be certain to be in that glad place of completion when days are no more.

If believers are mindful that Jesus is with us on our pilgrimage of faith, then we can be certain that even when life is bleak and days seems hollow, His very presence hallows time. Emotions do not dictate outcome, though it seems that way. Weary spirits are carried along by Jesus Christ. He is still the Author and Finisher of our faith when personal strength fails and sorrow overtakes. Nothing overtakes Jesus. He overcame everything at Calvary that would seek to overtake human continuance. He made a stand on the Cross that would withstand all the elements of emotional pain as well as Satan’s destructive tactics. Jesus did it. Not because of anything you or I do, can we forebear the sorrows of this life. Because of everything Jesus did—and does by His presence with us—sorrows are carried by Him, and His strength sees us through.

If you are suffering through a time of sorrow right now, let Jesus walk with you. Do not think you need to feel better or stronger in order to be ready for Jesus’ presence. When you are weak, His strength is most needed, and how He wants to avail it to you. If you know someone who suffers now and their pain is your pain, see the Jesus in you, dear reader, for compassion is from Christ. Whatever places you in a season of need for yourself or someone else, do not take one more step without knowing Jesus is there and He wants to walk with you through it.

Ask Him. Ask Jesus to be beside you. In a heartbeat, He is there. If you let Jesus accompany you through life’s present sorrows, this Author and Finisher of your faith will take the pains of your life and sculpt it into something worthy. It does not look like it now. Clay never looks like it could be beautified. Oh, but in the Hands of the Lord, clay gains integrity, value, and purpose. Let Jesus author your days and finish them well, as only Jesus can. He will refine sorrow and define you anew. Indeed there shall be joy and purpose ahead. He promised.

Lord Jesus, how assuring it is to know that whatever meets us in life, we do not meet it without you. You will walk with us through life’s sorrows. You will make meaning out of life’s sorrows. Redeemer that You are, You redeem everything in a believer’s life to make all experience a complete and sanctified life in You. Thank You, Jesus, for Your strengthening presence and Your loyal promises to which we hold. You are the Author and Finisher of our faith. You are why and how life has worth. You are life. Your are all, Amen.

The heart directs us as to whether we move with caution or readiness in a given situation. Sometimes grief can be so raw that our hearts sound the alarm and we are not to move to invest ourselves at all for a time. The heart is our guide and it is a reservoir for our love, strength, and courage. Because grief depletes energy and momentum, there are times when it is valuable to sit and surrender to sadness in order to be filled again with hope. Giving what we do not have within ourselves is futile. Being kind to ourselves and mindful of a season of acute grief is an act that actually aids in replenishing energy and potential. Do not berate yourself for not being able to participate in certain days as you once did. Do not let others berate you either nor coax you into something for which your heart is not ready. Grief is personal. Listen to your heart.

No one—no one—knows you better than Jesus does. Trust the Lord to be with you and to direct your needs at this time. By the presence of the Holy Spirit, He will guide, help, and comfort you. Let Him. When you do, you will come to find that although life will not be as it was before, it will still have meaning and hope. Let Jesus carry you through times of goodbye. Let Jesus be your companion through all days, stages, and places in your life. Jesus understands the human challenges we face. He is the One who gave His life in the interest of traveling with us through them all.

Lord Jesus, You know those sad and unwanted places that hearts must navigate through when grief comes into our lives. You promised to be with us—no matter what. In matters that mark the calendar and mark our eyes with tears and longing, be our peace. Help us, Jesus, to settle ourselves in Your care and promises so that we can live with Your supernatural equilibrium. Your love knows no end. Throughout all the endings of our lives, Your love remains our steadiness and the reason for our every beginning. In Thee, Lord Christ, Amen.

REMEMBERING

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.    Philippians 1:3

Remembering.  We do it all the time.  People make our lives what they are.  The memories that drift in and out of our minds—often unbidden—signify our connection to people with whom we have made our lives.  These are persons with who we have charted personal journeys to gather the mementos of the heart.

Most of our remembering occurs with those with whom we have special bonds.  With some people we share many years; with others, far less than we thought.   Still a bond exists.  Remembering also happens with regard to individuals who disappointed or disappeared.  Sorrowful memories visit hearts as well.  

God is generous in the broad allowance He grants for people to create memories each moment of the day.  The Holy Spirit breathes life into what appears common.  Many a routine activity becomes cherished.  Individuals who carry on in the face of grief do long for those routine days.  God’s love for you and for me is revealed in His abundant grace that leads us to memory making and memory keeping in our lives, in what is seemingly mundane and never-ending.

Jesus is at the core of our remembrances; the reason why we remain connected to what has been.  Colossians 1:17 assures us that He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.  Such confidence this brings.  Such comfort.  This is a steady reminder of the power of Jesus and His understanding of the human heart.  Because Jesus holds all things together, we can be certain that there is something of worth and purpose in what has been in our lives—even if circumstances and emotions would indicate otherwise.

Jesus Christ is the Great Redeemer.  Of souls.  Of spirits.  Of reasons.  Jesus declares life, forgiveness, and hope—for everyone and everything.  He gave His life on the Cross at Calvary so that anyone who believes in Him could believe in their lives too—no matter what.  The power of Jesus’ love is beyond human comprehension but never beyond human need.  Whatever has been or is now being encountered that challenges, Jesus will overcomes.  Man cannot.  Jesus can.  A belief in Him and His power make certain that He will arrange matters in a heart such that grief will not overtake, and regret will not overshadow a hope still vibrant in every tomorrow in which He is made center.

We thank God for every remembrance of people, places, strides, victories, joys, and even the challenges, that make us who we are.  We thank God for hope and time to share and create new memories.  Most of all, we thank God for Jesus, who grants resurrection hope to hearts that struggle with the questions of why and how.  Jesus, He is the One with the power to give new meaning, hope, and direction to our lives. 

God shall continue to cover all with His love.

Lord, You have granted the fabric of memories that shape and embellish our lives.  You assuage the sorrows with Your heart of love and comfort.  Thank You, Lord, for what You out of Your love for Your people that make remembrances treasured, redemptive, and meaningful  in Thee.  In Christ forevermore,  Amen.

PROOF

But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.  The other disciples, therefore, said unto him, We have seen the Lord.  But Thomas said unto them, Except I shall see in His hand the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand to His side, I will not believe.  And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them; then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst and said, Peace be unto you.  Then saith He to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold My hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side, and be not faithless, but believing.  And Thomas answered and said unto Him, My Lord and my God.        John 20:24-28                        

Thomas had doubts.  Scripture explains that when Jesus and Thomas met after Jesus rose from the dead, Thomas needed proof that this was really Jesus.  Jesus stood in front of Thomas; this was not enough.  Thomas wanted more.  He needed evidence.  Jesus provided it.  Jesus held out His nail scarred hands.  Then Thomas knew this was the Christ of the Cross, the Risen Christ.   Thomas rejoiced and exclaimed My Lord and my God. 

Because God knows all, He knows all about human doubt.  Those who distrust the reality of Jesus require proof to assuage doubt.  While the Bible informs us that without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), this record in Scripture tells us that Jesus wants to offer what is needed to eliminate uncertainty so faith is inspired.  For those who have walked many years with Jesus, several years, and those yet to walk across the threshold of belief in Him, each step with or toward Jesus is a step that may still require assurance or proof.  Jesus understands.  His patience is deep.  Jesus’ hope for relationship with people is far greater than quizzical thoughts and expressions that require His Word or His ways to settle doubt.  As with the Thomas of yesterday, proof is still essential for some before they will come to faith in Jesus.

Proof is exemplified in Holy Week and Easter.  These days recount the acts that provide outer evidence to the inner love that Jesus holds for every soul.  He died a brutal death when beaten and nailed to the cross at Calvary.  Jesus’ pure blood was shed to cleanse people from their sins—all sins for all time.  His bruised and hanging body was taken from the cross to the tomb.  Everyone thought that was the end of Jesus’ story.  It was not.  Three days later Jesus rose from death.  It was a glorious beginning.  Jesus’ Resurrection continues to bring hope and deliverance from death—spiritual, physical, and emotional—to those who believe in the Christ of Calvary.

Do you require proof?  Of Jesus’ total identity, part of it or proof to remind you of a once vibrant faith worn weary by life?  Proof is yours—today.  Look at your palms.  They are free from nail scars.  Jesus wants that freedom for you, for me.  He lived out His love and desire for our freedom from sin by taking pain so we would not.  So we could be cleansed from it.  Easter celebrates the love Jesus has for everyone.  Those who believe in Jesus Christ will rise from death as He did.  This proof stands against all doubt.  It is the proof that time nor tide can change. 

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But solely lean on Jesus’ Name.
On Christ the solid rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
All other ground is sinking sand.

Edward Mote, 1797-1874
William B. Bradbury 1816-1868

May the Resurrection of Jesus Christ stir you for the first time or once again this Easter Season.  May the wonder of Christ’s love penetrate you as you ponder the proof of His incomparable love.  Rise in faith.  Live confidently in the love of Christ whose love for you is rich and abiding. 

Lord of Love and Life, You gave all so that we might live.  Praise, adoration, thanksgiving, humility and mirth are Yours, the Christ of Calvary, Lover of Souls.  This season and all seasons, we continue to rise all because of You.  Amen.        

                                                SOLUTIONS

If you have faith as a grain of a mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove, and nothing shall be impossible unto you.    Matthew 17:20

There I sat on the floor with my little nephew, Lego blocks surrounding us.  His young eyes peered over the pieces as I held the directions to put together this apparatus, one far more sophisticated than the plain Legos I built when I was little.  Things have changed.  So there I was having fun assisting him as to the various pieces/steps required to put together this contraption. 

In the course of our building project, at times I would watch my nephew as he studied the pieces before him and concentrated on the right fit.  When it registered in his little mind, he would officiously state I have the solution.  It was a declaration.  One would think a Head of State were entering the room.  I might of thought it comical if I were not so impressed by his confidence and the repeatedly correct solutions.  As we sat there engrossed in this project, I silently prayed that as he grew he would look to Jesus as his solution—every time for every need to be solved.

Jesus is the solution for your life and for mine.  Faith is the key.  Even the small faith of a mustard seed will do.  That is all that the Lord needs and wants for matters to be turned over to Him so that He can work out solutions.  Belief in Jesus and all He can do builds trust in Him so that we go to Him—regularly—for help and healing.

The solutions we receive from the riddles in our lives may not be the answers we  pray for.  Sometimes solutions are antithetical to our desires.  Whatever results come, they are God’s best solutions to our problems and concerns.  The Lord has a mysterious way of making the outcome for one need an exponential blessing.  He is such a giver.  The Giver.  And while His solutions may confound us at times, we can trust that the perfect love of God has a reason for what comes—and for what does not.

For Christians worldwide, this month begins the solemn season of Lent.  It commences on Ash Wednesday and continues for 40 days.  It is a time of sacrifice, reflection, and spiritual renewal.  A time to ponder the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness to ready Himself for the inimitable and dark day of His crucifixion.  By all accounts, that day looks bleak and aimless.  It was a day of violence, torment, and death.  A day Jesus endured for the forgiveness of man’s sins as He shed His blood on Calvary to be the cleansing blood to wash sin from the lives of people of all place and time.   Jesus is The Solution to human need.  He always will be. 

Losses in our lives due to death, divorce, illness, wayward children, job endings, and other significant transitions, are losses that beg for a solution.  Jesus solves.  His presence offers strength and comfort.  That does not mean that circumstances will be different; they may remain as they are for a time.  But it does mean Jesus will go through life’s challenges and sorrows with us so that we are never alone and never without hope.

In the times in which we live—a turbulent, rapidly changing, and sinful world—we need Lent, and any hour of focus on Christ to remind us and renew us of a formidable and holy Christ who made the ultimate sacrifice on the cross for the covering of sin.   As you walk through this season, may your heart be tenderized toward Jesus who stayed alone in the wilderness for your sake.  For mine.  May these weeks before Easter serve to remind us that the era of history in which we live is not faced alone.  The turbulence and shift we live through is a season overseen by Sovereign God.  God’s unmatched love and divine wisdom gave us a solution for this place and time: Jesus.  May you seek Him with all of your heart and be held safe and sound in all of His love.

Lord Jesus, to think of You preparing for the cross and wilderness in order to meet Your day of suffering, stops all other thought and activity.  Pondering those solemn days is to be mindful of Your sacrificial love.  Such love is beyond words.  Lord, with humility and warm gratitude, Your own bow their hearts before You.  May Your heart be blessed as Your people live with abiding faith in You as our solution.  There is no other.  In Thee, Lord Christ, Amen.

ARMS AND ARMORS

Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.    Ephesians 6:13

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City has a permanent exhibit on display Arms and Armors.  Arms and Armors made quite an impression on me the first time I saw it years ago.  It is a display of ornate and heavy battle equipment used by warriors.  Helmets, shields, breastplates, swords, armors with full regalia, and various accessories, are magnificent to view.  Considering the weight of these items, one wonders how men fought in such bulk metallic protection.  But they did, winning and losing.  This armor is manmade; Christians wear armor of a different sort. 

Are you dressed for battle?  If you believe in Jesus Christ, you will engage in spiritual warfare each day.  If you know that, you are already prepared.  If you do not, it is time to suit up with the Word of God. God tells us in His Word, The Enemy comes to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10).   He attacks the lives of Christians in subtle and clear ways.  Because the Lord knows we will contend with the Adversary, Satan, He gives to us an outline in Ephesians as to how we can arm ourselves to combat dark forces that seek to defeat us.  Because of Jesus, we have the great victory and yet we must be on guard against Satan, the roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8).

Satan strikes when we are going through times of physical, spiritual, emotional or mental weakness.  Grief seasons are times of weakness.  They are draining episodes of experience that are weighty and encumber us in our daily walks of faith.  Grief is a universal experience, however, until it happens to one personally—and it will if it has not already—the magnitude of its power is incomprehensible.  Once a loss is met, felt, faced, and survived, a loss of significance etches itself on a heart such that it remains an unforgettable season in life, even after healing occurs.

In today’s culture, our young people need tremendous love, fervent prayer, and our abiding presence to aid them in their times of grief, which can be times they combat the Foe.  Society is filled with readily available choices that are easily addictive and destructive.  These choices become habits but their genesis can be disguised as fun, recreational, comforting, and entertaining.  Among our youth, every drink taken, drug ingested, sexual act performed, lie told (to themselves and to others), has the potential to be harmful and chip away at the foundation of integrity and self-worth.  When this happens, Satan smiles.  Satan accommodates.  For this reason, it is imperative elders give careful attention to the young within their sphere of influence, and to those unseen youth needful of fortifying prayer.

Spiritual warfare is real.  Scripture informs us that we do not war against flesh and blood but against principalities of the air (Ephesians 6:12).  This is where the war is waged but we see the spoils and casualties of war all around us.  Blessedly there are young people who are intentionally living for Christ who daily put on their armor ready to live, thrive, serve, and witness.  But some are not.  Some cannot.  Some young people do not have models about them to put pure physical arms of love around them and arm them with The Word of God and the covering of prayer.  Young people need, seek out, and find places of acceptance and love—even if it is false and temporary.  Those temporary answers can be painful.  Even violent.

One place youth are turning is to gangs.  Gang membership is on the rise.  Gangs are a structured and notorious reality.  The breakdown in family and use of the internet are two significant reasons for gang proliferation.  Involvement in this kind of life robs them of today and tomorrow, and steals the future from us all.  Our young people must have sound assurance that we shall continue to be a shield and bulwark for them in an increasingly dark world.

Jesus, precious and faithful Jesus, is the Light of the World (John 8:12).  He continues to shine brilliantly and vividly for all who keep their eyes on Him.  The world will be as it is but those in Christ are told you are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14).  Bolstering our youth so they live encouraged through and after a season of grief or brokenness, and live free and clean from Satan’s lure, is possible by the might of Christ.  He is the One who fills us with light and hope to equip us on a daily basis to encourage others.  Christ will champion our cause to care for our youth when they grieve, grow despondent, become wayward, and when they return.  Christ will champion our cause to care for them because He loves our young people more than we do, and more than we are capable of loving them.  With His arms of perfect love and the armor of His Name and His Word, He steadies steps and fosters optimism for the future.  He proved His love on Calvary.  He wants people to have life and to have it more abundantly.  Because He lives, He wants all to live armed and armored—in His victorious and endless love.

Lord Jesus, some of our youth are in pain today.  They feel sorrow and anxiety over deaths, divorces, endings of relationships, academic concerns, bullying, addictions, fitting in, letting go, and contemplation of leaving this world.  Lord Jesus, help.  Help them.  Help us.  You see their every need, and You hear every word of truth these young ones speak in their hearts.  Lord, help them to know that You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  Govern those around them by the presence of You, Holy Spirit.  May we who surround them be granted Your wisdom, stamina, patience, and comforting love to encourage them today and for all of their tomorrows.  Thank You, Jesus, for Thy certain presence among us all.  How we need You.  How we love You, Amen.

                        TERTIARY ROADS

For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.    Ecclesiastes 5:20

tertiary – of third rank, important or value

When snow falls and accumulation is high, news broadcasts begin to speak of tertiary road closures.  Weather has to be serious and hazardous due to snow or heavy rains to hear about these third ranked arteries.  To some travelers, these roads may be routine pathways to home or work; to others they are ancillary routes rarely taken.  But there are times when new roads must be taken for these are the only passages there are.  Tertiary roads are linked to every meaningful relationship we know in life.  Whether we are ready for them or not, we embark on these roads when grief enters relationships.

Every life knows endings. Endings come as a result of choices we make, and they come due to circumstances imposed.  Endings come due to abrupt deaths and departures for which were is no preparation.  Endings are inevitable.  The question that eventually gets answered (over a lifetime) is how and when endings meet us.  When they do, they put us on paths unfamiliar, emotional, unwanted, and lonesome.  Yet, when grief leads us on these paths, grief offers certain points of worth that could not have been on primary or secondary roads. 

Scripture (as quoted above) speaks of a joy in the heart; a joy that comes from a quick passage of time because life has been busy being lived while the heart was recording the living.  In an odd way, grief takes us on a mental and emotional tour of a particular season of our lives that held someone or something of value.  We may not even realize how much someone meant to us because we were so happy living life.  When a goodbye comes, it hurts to review and to remember.  That is the underside of love.  But it is still part of love.  The ache of goodbye is the heart’s emphasis on the strength of that connection to you, to me.  Even though it is painful to remember moments that cannot be relived, it is grace to have had them at all.  It is grace to hope to know of other joys to come.

God is a promise-keeper.  THE promise-keeper.  Whatever He said shall be, shall be.  He promised in Romans 8:28 that all things work together for good for those who love God and are the called according to His purpose.  All things.  That includes grief.  That includes loss. I take God at His Word.  I pray that you take Him at His Word.  He assures us that the tertiary roads we rarely yet of necessity must travel, are roads on which He shall accompany us.  They are paths through which He knows the way, and shall bring us through by the integrity and strength of His love.

Lord of Life, You know the way through all the endings and their adjacent emotional roadways.  Grief hurts yet we must travel that path.  In Your steady manner, You show us the way and shield us with Your love as we walk those weak steps.  Thank You, Lord, for Thy precious companionship.  Thank You for the gift of life we are granted to share with others.  What we exchange is a gift that continues to give exponentially beyond a goodbye; in You, Lord Jesus, everything lives and flourishes forevermore.   In Thee, Lord Christ, Amen.

GRIEF’S GIFTS

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.        James 1:17

When we think of gifts, more often we think of something we want and welcome.  A new book, a shiny toy, a tie or the gift of company with loved ones.  Seldom, if ever, is grief considered a gift.  However, hidden in and beyond its obvious sorrow is benefit to be revealed once grief’s shadow passes—which, it will.  In the Bible, the Book of James tells us something of perfect gifts and that they are from above, from God.  Grief is in God’s realm.  Grief offers something not readily seen when one is living in a season of grief but it is there.  In truth, grief bears several gifts—if we opt to receive them.

One gift is the compassion of Christ that often deepens in us in a time of personal loss.  To encounter a serious sever is to be especially sensitive to others who encounter loss.  Another gift is to realize the degree of God’s faithfulness.  It can become clearer when we grieve.  Without the absence of our measure of faith, we would not be able to see the immeasurable faith of God, and His hand that upholds us—regardless of how life hurts and how we feel.  Another treasure comes from Jesus Himself.  What Jesus did on Calvary for you and for me cost Him dearly.  When we grieve a penetrating loss, we get a little closer to comprehending the suffering Jesus endured and His grief due to separation from the Father.  We feel more keenly the love that brought Him to the Calvary, and kept Him there.  Ease and life’s lightness do not—cannot—produce awareness of such gifts, and concurrently shape more of Christ’s character in us.  Grief can.  

Christmas is a time of wonder, delight, and celebration.  The arrival of Jesus into the world is worthy of our celebration.  For those who grieve, celebration can seem far off and perhaps reserved for Christmas seasons to come.  God understands.  Others will try to understand.  Those who have ever suffered loss, already do.  It is worthwhile for those who grieve, and onlookers, to remember that the daily presence of the Babe of Bethlehem is here.  This Son of God grants joyous blessings but He came primarily to endure with us and for us the pains of this life, and to shield us from pain in the life to come. 

May this Christmas be a reminder that the Lord of yesterday and its memories, and the Lord of tomorrow and its hope, is with you and with me.  However Christmas is celebrated, Christ Himself is celebrated with and for the attention He gives to people.  This is attention He awakes in us through grief’s gifts.  We are wise to receive them and carry them with us throughout all the days of our lives.

Lord Jesus, You came to the world to meet people in need, and to rejoice with them in blessings.  At Christmas and throughout the year, we remain blessed, grateful, and humble by Your steady and powerful presence in our lives.  Lord Jesus, for those who are living this Christmas season with the ache of loss and emotional pains, we ask that Your touch be especially penetrating to them.  Please comfort those who grieve, equip those who encourage those who hurt.  Make and keep us Thy hands and feet to one another.   Thank You, Lord Jesus, for hearing our prayers.  Thank You, Holy Spirit, for directly our steps to be Your meaningful answers.  In Thee, Lord Jesus, Amen.

LINEN WRAPPINGS

Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb, and he saw the linen clothes lying there, and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself.                        John 20:6

Growing up at my grandmother’s side, I became accustomed to watching this skillful seamstress and artisan at work.  Her knowledge of fabrics and their uses were extensive; I learned about linen early on.  Similarly, when I completed post-graduate work in interior design, linen was not only an early presentation in a course in Fabric Science and Usage, linen was a fabric requirement to be used in various projects on which students were graded.  According to the dictionary, linen is a cloth made of flax and noted for its strength, coolness, and luster.  This is a serviceable fabric indeed, which is why its use for burial was essential and reasonable in ancient times for burial.  Recently I saw this usage of linen on display as used by ancient Egyptians. 

In New York City I went to view the King Tutankhamun exhibit on display at the Discovery Museum in Times Square.  There are colorful objects with clear explanations of the use of these objects by the ancient Egyptians.   The exhibit is somewhat anti-climactic for the tour ends with a skeletal replica of King Tut.  The original no longer leaves Egypt due to the damage it suffered while on tour in America during the 1970’s. 

Amulets, spells from The Book of the Dead, nesting coffins, and canopic jars (jars used to separately house the organs of a body when it is buried), are featured in opulent colors and detailed craftsmanship.  Linen wrappings were a prolific staple in the process of mummification of a body, wrapping it in sturdy linens for burial to sustain the soul and to protect the soul after death.  King Tut’s leadership in this quest for preservation of souls in the afterlife was strong and sincere.  Sincerely wrong.

It is a provocative experience to observe the traditions of others.  But sadly for these souls, there was not the afterlife for which they had believed in and sought to reach.  Their sophisticated and beautiful preparations to send a soul to the afterlife were deficient.  Jesus Christ is the only way to a peaceful afterlife.  The artifacts that surrounded me in the museum represented false hope.  The resurrection of Jesus Christ is fact.  The linens that lay on the floor of Christ’s tomb that morning long ago were not colorful, plentiful or detailed.  But they are lovely evidence of an afterlife and truth that shines brilliantly in hearts of Christian believers worldwide.

The kind of death one will experience is not known.  How our lives in this world shall end, is known only to God.  But for persons who believe in Jesus Christ as Saviour, there is an assurance that the soul will be with Jesus forever.  This does not take away the ache and grief that comes with missing a loved one who has died.  It does not prevent a season of loss nor the emotional pain and longing for someone who has gone ahead.  What belief in Jesus does do is serve as a comfort and a hope that quietly lives inside to sustain the spirit of one who grieves.  Only the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit can allow this truth to settle inside and give assurance as time goes by.

But lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal (Matthew 6:20).  My treasure is in Heaven.  Where is yours?  Do you grieve someone?  Something?  Has life changed in such a way that loss has taken hold and you think that you will never be full again with optimism, peace or joy?  Rest assured, that Jesus knows your answers to these questions.  Be certain that His finished work on Calvary more than 2000 years ago, and His rise from death, still extends life and hope to you today.  Jesus is with you.  Let Him be with you.  Give Him room.  The Egyptians acted to perform serious and intricate works to gain hope and sustain life.  Christians do it with words: Yes, Jesus, I believe in You.  No matter what, even when life and losses hurt, I know that You will sustain me.  Thank You, Jesus.   That sustenance holds true not only for our eternal resting place but also for the life we live in this world until the time the Lord calls us Home.  Believe in His promise and His love for you.  Believe in what fell on the floor of Christ’s tomb: His linen wrappings.   

Jesus of Life, You overcame death on the cross, rose from the dead, and left linen wrappings behind.  This is the path believers in You have taken and shall take when it is the end of time in this world.  Jesus, please comfort those who are afflicted by grief and its many challenging emotions.  Come to each in Your personal way so that they will know Your peace and assurance.  Jesus, please be with those who are conflicted about life after death.  Holy Spirit, by Your leading grant inspiration and true hope to those who seek the Truth.  In Thy Name, Lord Jesus, Amen.

PET REMEMBRANCES

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights with whom is no variableness neither shadow of turning. James 1:17

To live with a pet is to live with family.  These creatures grow on us and grow into the framework that is our family.  Great Danes, gold fish, kittens, snakes, horses, canaries, and hermit crabs are named and engrafted into hearts and memories.  Therefore, when a pet dies, sorrow follows.  A member of the family has died.

Some people who experience the loss of a pet may be surprised at how such a loss grips them.  After all, one may reason, it was not a person.  However, the kind of relationship shared with pets is often unique and indelible.  Pets give their love and affection in an unconditional and consistent manner.  When that is gone, there is a large void to fill.  Until a pet dies, people may not realize how much a pet’s presence meant as a source of affection and acceptance; affection and acceptance given and received.

When we love someone or something, we give.  The absence of a pet to care for and to give ourselves to is part of the pain of grief.  When grief comes as a result of pet sorrow, it is a season of emotional, physical, and mental challenges.  Routine activities, special events, and daily responsibilities are bland and perhaps arduous to manage.  During times of grief, energy wanes and enthusiasm fades.  Even activities preferred and pleasurable can lose their appeal.  For a time.  This is normal in a grief experience but it feels and seems abnormal.

Pet remembrances have a respectable place in our lives because these creatures make their mark on us.  Therefore, expressions of sympathy, memorial services, cards, crying, humor, and story telling are essential components in a season of pet loss.  These are compassionate and purposeful expressions of grief and expressions of gratitude for the gift of a pet that held a special place in one’s life.

James 1:17 informs us that every gift is from above.  Scripture’s beautiful truth and reminder to us that all gifts are from God is a timely one to read when living with loss.  All we have loved at one time or another is a gift from God. However short or long in duration, the opportunity to exchange love and time with a special person or a special pet is something God grants.  In memory, this exchange remains blessed by Him.  With the Holy Spirit’s comforting presence, the ache of loss can gradually be softened into the magic of memory; memory to savor and to share forever.

Father of giving, thank You, for the gift of pets.  In the Bible, You gave to Adam the joy and the responsibility of naming the animals.  In Your grace, You grant to us the joy of befriending some of Your creatures along with ways to share love and life with them.  When they are gone, You know how much it hurts.  Lord, as You have blessed with love, bless with comfort to soothe the spirits and minds of those who grieve their pets.  Give to others sensitivity with which to comfort those who grieve and seek ways to foster meaningful pet remembrances.  In Thee, Lord Jesus, our dearest friend, Amen.