Swallowed Up by Life
I am reading this morning’s entry in my Daily Light Journal. The scriptures for December 21 begin with a promise from Isaiah: “The days of your mourning shall be ended” (Isaiah 60:20).
Last year, I wrote: “December 20th, 2012: Precious Lenya Lusko (our dear friends Levi and Jennie’s five-year-old daughter) entered into the presence of the Lord . . . so unexpectedly.”
When we heard this terrible news, we stood with our arms around each other and wept so loudly the neighbors heard. Christmas will be so hard . . .
For all of us who are missing loved ones, may the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing. And though I may weep because I miss my precious son Christopher, I have experienced a strange and inexplicable peace knowing this mortal will soon be swallowed up by life. I love that word . . . swallowed. Our Champion, Jesus came, lived, died, and rose again. He drank the cup, undoing the curse, so that one day, our mortal bodies too will be transformed in glory (see 2 Corinthians 5:4).
These last five years since Christopher has been in heaven, I sing more loudly and fiercely this third verse of “Joy to the World”:
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found!
Far as the curse is found!
Far as, far as the curse is found!
As we celebrate the first Advent, all of creation in solidarity is groaning with us . . . standing on tiptoe, eagerly awaiting and anticipating the second Advent day.
Come again, Lord Jesus!
1 comments
Bea Redd | December 29, 2013
I know your pain because for the past 10 yrs I go through it too.
In Feb 2003, my oldest brother was brutally murdered by someone who knew him. He was shot several times but it was the two shots at close range to his head which blew his brains out that killed him. Although the guy surrendered to the law, it did not lessen the pain of losing my brother. In Jul 2003, my mother passed away from two brain tumors. We found out the day after Mother's day that she had cancer and was given 3 months to live. Although my mother was pretty sick and didn't always know what was going on with her, she had the pleasure of knowing that the guy who killed my brother was sentenced to life in prison. She got the biggest smile on her face when I told her about the sentencing. But I praise Jesus because I know that one day I will see my brother, mother, grandparents and my cousin Michael one day again. But no matter what, I still hurt and cry every year but I know Jesus knows my heart and he will heal it.
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