Father's Day Weekend Week

For a while now, two very dear friends of mine have been praying for healing for their mothers. One of those mothers made it to her heavenly home last Friday morning and the other one on Father's Day afternoon. Around the same time of the day that my friends' mothers funeral was being held for the one who passed on Friday a bigger celebration was being held for her in heaven. I am so glad I didn't have to go through that again but it did bring back memories. My mother's funeral was on a beautiful Sunday but it was a cold day in January, 1998. Still, don't remember that really. Not even what I was wearing. It was a complete blur. Yet the pain is still evident and real.
It is a beautiful thing to know this isn't the end. Another friend sent me this from a book called "Heaven" by Randy Alcorn to send to the friend of the mother who had passed on Friday.

Meanwhile we on this dying earth can relax and rejoice for our loved ones who are in the presence of Christ. As the apostle Paul tells us though we naturally grieve at losing loved ones We are not to grieve like the rest of men who have no hope. 1 Thess 4:13. Our parting is not the end of our relationship only an interruption. We have not "lost" them because we know where they are. They are experiencing the joy of Christs presence in a place so wonderful Christ called it paradise and one day we're told in a magnificent reunion they and we will be with the lord forever therefore encourage each other with these words. 1 Thess 4:17-18.

 It was a different Father's day this year as somehow it always is. Sometimes I think because of the other diversions that maybe it is to draw attention away from the fact that Jim no longer has his earthly father here on earth with us. I don't think it really bothers him like it does me with mother's day, but still it's not a coincidence that all those things took place on that one day. A moving church service, a funeral, a death, my friends boarding a 17 day journey to Liberia, Father's Day events for my dad  and my husband, and a Broadway play of The Lion King.

Scripture speaks to me in a powerful way lately. I find when I truly open my spiritual ears I hear things I never did before. That same dear friend who sent me the passage from 1 Thessalonians about heaven also sent me a verse to pray for her about. It was: Psalm 94:19.

When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.

I actually cried when I read that to pray for HER. Because it was also meant for me! At that very moment I was dealing with severe anxiety, stress and torment over some personal matters and then out of the blue she text that and I did pray for her that verse and also praised Him for bringing it to me as well.

This life is hard but worth it when you can experience moments like those where you just can only think "I am so crazy in love with Jesus"!!

DD