Sitting Still - and other myths?

Today has been an emotional one for my family, as we mourn the death of my grandma's brother. He was a very devoted Christian and family man. Strangely, he passed a day after the bishop of our church denomination also died suddenly in a car accident. Why? It's a legitimate question. Now, my great-uncle suffered from the effects of a stroke that happened 12 years ago until he was finally released from the suffering this morning. For most of us, the question of "why" came more when the stroke happened than when he passed away. The stroke diminished his capacities so severely that he was unable to teach Sunday School or help lead any ministries, as he had done for as long as most of us could remember.

Jesus Himself said in Matthew 5:44-46, "⁴⁴ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." There are many truths to be gleaned from the whole passage, but the message is clear in that God doesn't play favorites. Good things and difficulties befall us both equally. Now I recognize my blessings for what they are - acknowledging them as a gift from God. This seems obvious to me, but can you imagine giving gifts to someone every day, sometimes several times a day... handing the gifts directly to him/her and having his/her response be something to the effect of, "Wow. I sure got lucky today! This just fell in my lap. I don't know where it came from. I guess I just have good karma. I have great luck... either that, or I'm a really great person and good things just happen to me." Would you continue to lavish gifts on that person? It's a good thing God doesn't deal in emotional currency like we do or our blessings would be few and far between. However, I think He feels more blessed when we acknowledge what His Word has already stated, in James 1:16-17 "¹⁶Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. ¹⁷Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." He's the Giver of all good things, and He doesn't change. His blessings aren't dependent upon His mood or our behavior.

Now coming to death. I have a hard time believing that either Uncle Dick or Bishop are up in heaven right now saying, "Why me??! Why now?!" The thought of it seems absurd. We on earth don't have the luxury of the clarity of thought that they now have. This is a good and perfect gift to them. It certainly doesn't feel that way to us, but ours is coming... someday. As I sit here in the physical pain that I experience from an ailment nearly every day, all day... I can hardly wait for the gift of heaven. Don't get me wrong... the idea of leaving all of my loved ones is difficult to imagine, but since there will be "no tears and no sorrows and no pain" (Revelation 21:4) in heaven, I know that I would not mourn - for time would no longer be an issue either, and my loved ones would be in my arms in a blink anyway.

It comes back to us left on earth. I have seen funerals... the most beautiful of which are when the loved ones left behind are resolved and reassured and trusting in God over the timing of the death and the truth of where their loved one has gone. Why? Absolutely, why. But when we ask this about certain people and not others, then are we attributing more value to a certain type of person? (He/she was a good person, a minister, a servant of God, etc.) These men were Christians. They were in love with their Lord - with whom they now reside. Why them? Why not? They were ready to go. They have been for many years. They have walked with Him for a long time - sometimes through joy and sometimes tragedy. They have had their faith tested. They have walked blindly - seeing through dim glass... just as we do now. Their faith is now sight, and they were more than ready for it. I have more trouble asking why over someone who has not repented and who is not ready to meet their maker than over someone who is. If they ever questioned God's goodness in life, I'm sure they're not questioning it today.

Jesus himself said in John 14:26-27, "²⁶But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. ²⁷Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." He was preparing His disciples for His own absence. He was giving them comfort for when He was gone. He was helping them by giving them - not worldly comfort... but heavenly comfort. He knew they would want Him and that they needed comfort in their sadness. In John 16:32-33 He said, "^32'But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. ³³"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.'" Jesus anticipated a time when He would be alone in this world, and the fleshly part of Him definitely noticed it - almost seemingly in a worrying way (You will leave me all alone.) - but He didn't despair, and nor should we, for He knew His Father would be with Him. He also acknowledged what we all so painfully find out - we'll have trouble here. This isn't our home. We are here a relatively short time before we too join those in eternity. That's why we often feel uncomfortable, out of place, and as if we were created for more. It's because we were.

I was watching the river today. It was flowing quickly in one direction. I remembered what someone once said about being in a boat on that same river. He said that if he didn't row upstream, he would float downstream with the current. The oddest part is that it didn't feel like he was going anywhere. He felt as though he was sitting still. However, when he looked up he realized he had floated far downstream. He recognized at that point that if he was not rowing purposefully in the opposite direction of the current, He would be inadvertently transported downriver. That's the way it is with us. Sometimes I can get annoyed with people who seem "ultra-spiritual" as though they've attained some kind of higher ground with God than I have. But it's true. They have. It's not because they're more special. It's because they're rowing harder. For one reason or another they have not only discovered the key to a close relationship with the Lord (the same as it is with anyone else - close, intimate contact and constant communication) but (this is the part most of us have trouble with) they are continuing to strive at it - keeping up with it, making it work. Likely something happened to them along the way to drive them to God and motivated them to keep Him close. My divorce did that with me, yet even now I find myself taking God for granted sometimes. I think it's usually our difficulties that prove our faith - and where it is placed. Is my faith in me? In God? In my perception of God? Is it weak? Is it steadfast?

Life is precious, absolutely. So are those with whom we are blessed to spend our days on earth. But life on earth is just a tiny portion of that for which we were created. Some people get to eternity earlier than others. That's only a tragedy when they are not prepared for it. Our perspective (through no fault of our own) is temporal and physical, because it's all we know. We see life as precious because it is, but it's not over for either of these men. It's just the end of the season they spent on earth. We see the end of physical life as a curse or an injustice. I know I would feel that way - in particular if I lost a younger loved one. But I would still be wrong. Not to negate feelings, because they often seem more real than any knowledge we can possibly attain. They are extremely powerful, but they eventually fade and disappear in a way that truth never does. I remember losing my husband to another life. It was just as painful as if he was dead - moreso in a way because of the fact that he had taken himself away from me and our children intentionally. This was a pain that was so intense at times I was sure I wouldn't be able to draw my next breath. I remember talking to a widower during that time, and he said he was glad that he wasn't divorced, because his memories of his wife were at least sweet and he knew she didn't want to leave him and their children. However, today, for me, all that is left of that pain is a scar... a memory that's not painful anymore. It's just the facts - not the emotions - that remain.

I'm inspired today to press on toward the goal of better knowing Him with whom I will spend my forever. Why settle for superficiality? Why be quenched with "hallelujah"? Why be sated with religion? If there's more, then I want it. I don't want to feel awkward toward my Creator. When I see Him at last I want to feel joyful and restful in His presence. I want to be comfortable being close to Him now so that I be enthralled with Him later. Who wants eternity with a virtual stranger? Or even worse, who wants to spend eternity with One they thought was something He wasn't at all? I want to know Him. I want to row against the current that is pushing so steadily in the opposite direction.