- ‘Up from the grave He arose, with a mighty triumph o’er His foes ... He arose a Victor from the dark domain and He lives forever with His saints to reign! He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!’
In all respects, this season should be hard for me ... I recently realized what a miracle it is that it’s not ... not because 'time heals all wounds', because frankly, it doesn't ... there is still a sizeable hole in my heart and in complete transparency, I’m not real sure it will ever stop hurting or be fully healed. However, I think more than ever I am just more and more in awe of what it means for Jesus to take the sting out of death. This season is joyful to me ONLY because of what Jesus has done on the cross ... He has DEFEATED death, friends ... death is NO MORE!!! The grave can not steal anything from us anymore!! Can you join the chorus in one big ‘Hallelujah’!!!!
In first Thessalonians, Paul tells us that as Christians, ‘We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him (friends/family who have gone on to Heaven before us) ...
Paul continues that according to the Lord’s OWN WORDS, ‘the Lord HIMSELF will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will RISE FIRST. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught TOGETHER with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever!! ...
How awesome is that! But then Paul finishes with a command, ‘Therefore, ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER WITH THESE WORDS.’ (1 Thes 4:13-18).
Isaac recently had to learn this cluster of verses by memory for school and as he rehearsed throughout the week, I asked him if he understood what the verses were saying and he said ‘Yep, that’s Dad!’ :) You’d better believe it’s Dad ... and my sister Denise and Aunt Roberta and our Grandmas & Grandpas and ALL of our other friends/family who have gone before us ... and that’s just the BEGINNING of the party!! Friends, if we have accepted what Christ has done on the cross for us, if we have allowed His blood to wash our sins from us, then this Resurrection Sunday is a PERFECT time to also celebrate the defeat of death and the promise that it offers us in seeing our loved ones again! We will be meeting them in the air at the trumpet call of God ... Oh that day!
I often allow myself to imagine that day, have you ever done that ... the sound of the trumpet, the chaos of graves opening up everywhere, the color of the sky overwhelmed with the brightness of His presence ... I can only imagine that day would have the most intense smells of Spring that we’ve ever encountered as we witness the Creator himself at work, commanding life to come forth!!! It overwhelms my soul ... Come Lord, Come!!
Friends, I am sooo thankful for my loving Father who continues to carry our hearts and for each year when this season rolls around, how He allows me a miracle as He fills me anew with the 'spirit of life' given to me through the cross, rather than the 'spirit of death' which so lingers and tempts me to be caught up in the memory of those painful and dark days three short years ago ... Instead, each year in this season, my belief that He is coming soon is RENEWED & STRENGTHENED and I am just so thankful. I guess I’m just wanting to encourage and share a little of that with you as I wish you and yours a VERY HAPPY EASTER ... We so appreciate your prayers and thoughts, not only for my kids and me, but also for the entire family who continue to miss David so intensely ... He’s just a hard guy to stop missing, you know? But to be honest, I don’t think it is ever God’s intent for us to ‘let go’ of anyone who gets to join His presence before us ... I believe that where David is, Jesus is and where Jesus is, David is and so the best way to keep close to those we love and miss is to stay close to Jesus. In many ways, I feel more close to David now than I ever have ... Something else for which I am very thankful.
So please CELEBRATE with us in this season by allowing Jesus’ spirit of LIFE to fill you ... and encourage each other with the truth that He IS coming for us soon!!
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!’
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 ... The Coming of the Lord
Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.
[comment on this entry] [sign guestbook]
Thanks for this Jill! I have the same feelings you have, and I rejoice in what I know to be true! Praise God!
ReplyDeleteI love you Jill!!!! Even so Lord Jesus Come!!!
ReplyDeleteConnie Hammond
Jill, It is so good to read the wise and beautiful way you process your journey. I'm excited to reconnect with you in the James study. See you in two weeks (spring break for me next week). Joy Flemming
ReplyDeleteJill,
ReplyDeleteI work with your mom at the library. I too am feeling that intense hole in my heart due to a husband who left me two years ago and has since filed for legal separation. The holidays this year have been so hard. I have told people that, God forbid, I sometimes wish that he had died, as then I would have known he still loved me. He has moved on with his life, but I cannot. There is a hole in my heart and my life is not complete. I do thank God every day for His mercy and His grace....His arms around me holding me up when I feel that I can't take another step or breathe another breath. Time does not heal all wounds, that's for sure. I also thank God for His provision toward me...that He provides for me and takes care of me always. This Easter season I am thankful for His life and His death on the cross. His love for all of us was what held Him on that cross to die that cruel death.