In Memoriam
A year ago today a woman who I had first met in the 1970s passed away unexpectedly. Six weeks before that, one of my uncles died. He was a veteran of WW 2 and had been in poor health for some time.
There are times death presents itself as only and always grim, even where Christians are concerned. It is easier--if that is the word--to come to grips with the death of an elderly person ["Well, he did live a full life"] than someone younger than I am ["Not her!"], but God has measured out the length of each life so that lived for Him it will be a full life, no matter the number of weeks or years. This is why the Psalmist said in Psalm 90: "So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom" [verse 12, ESV].
When and Why Does a Christian Die?
A Christian's death comes when he has completed the tasks
His Lord asks--
And then comes the rest
And then comes the glory
And then comes the seeing
And then death is the means
To life in its fullness for
Life is being with and like Christ.
Oxymoronic: Death Brings Life Eternal
Death comes, death claims, death alters our lives
And yet,
And yet the alteration experienced by believers
Far outweighs our sorrow as they know
The eternal weight of glory of which Paul wrote,
One "beyond all comparison . . . the things that are not seen are eternal" [2 Cor. 4:17-18; ESV].
So we, in this time we now have, look at this:
"For we know that if the tent which is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on, we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened--not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life" [2 Cor. 5:1-4; ESV].
And going back to what Paul wrote prior to that:
"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparinging for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not at the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that unseen are eternal" [2 Cor. 4:16-18;ESV].
Some day, reunited, we will be delighted, as
Neither death nor time shall be any more,
We will all pass through heaven's door.
A year ago today a woman who I had first met in the 1970s passed away unexpectedly. Six weeks before that, one of my uncles died. He was a veteran of WW 2 and had been in poor health for some time.
There are times death presents itself as only and always grim, even where Christians are concerned. It is easier--if that is the word--to come to grips with the death of an elderly person ["Well, he did live a full life"] than someone younger than I am ["Not her!"], but God has measured out the length of each life so that lived for Him it will be a full life, no matter the number of weeks or years. This is why the Psalmist said in Psalm 90: "So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom" [verse 12, ESV].
When and Why Does a Christian Die?
A Christian's death comes when he has completed the tasks
His Lord asks--
And then comes the rest
And then comes the glory
And then comes the seeing
And then death is the means
To life in its fullness for
Life is being with and like Christ.
Oxymoronic: Death Brings Life Eternal
Death comes, death claims, death alters our lives
And yet,
And yet the alteration experienced by believers
Far outweighs our sorrow as they know
The eternal weight of glory of which Paul wrote,
One "beyond all comparison . . . the things that are not seen are eternal" [2 Cor. 4:17-18; ESV].
So we, in this time we now have, look at this:
"For we know that if the tent which is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on, we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened--not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life" [2 Cor. 5:1-4; ESV].
And going back to what Paul wrote prior to that:
"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparinging for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not at the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that unseen are eternal" [2 Cor. 4:16-18;ESV].
Some day, reunited, we will be delighted, as
Neither death nor time shall be any more,
We will all pass through heaven's door.
Labels: In memory
posted by Ebeth | 9:52 AM
1 Comments:
J and I saw you and your husband walking. It is really interesting to me to see how much you and I think alike. Thank you for sharing your thoughts in your posts.
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