Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Labor Pains
I've mentioned before my dear friend, Maggie, who has been battling a horrific form of breast cancer for well over two years now. The pain has been indescribable, I would say unbearable, but she has been, with the aid of meds, bearing it. Until last weekend. She is ready to be done with it. Her body appears to be shutting down.
It occurs to me this morning that Maggie is in the final stages of labor before her birth into real life. It has been a long and indescribably painful labor! But new life is ALWAYS worth it!! Once born she will never want to return to the dark womb of life on sinful earth. She will be free!! She will know LIFE as she has never known before! In many respects she will know life for the very first time!
And we will rejoice with her as we always rejoice over new life! But there will also be an emptiness. She will be separated from us in a way that feels just a wee bit uncomfortable, a little bit unsafe. There will be times when we miss that "movement within us" that was Maggie. But we will never truly wish her back, in the same way that we would never truly wish a newborn back into the "safety" of the womb. In the womb, although it is a SAFE place, that child will never become who he was meant to be, never fulfill his purpose. He will never experience life as it was meant to be experienced.
And we find ourselves not looking forward to the labor, a bit apprehensive about the parts we don't fully comprehend (after all, it's not like we get a lot of practice at this thing called death), but we long heavily for the birth! LIFE!!! When we "shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is"! And all the labor pains will be instantly forgotten!
I really like Randy Alcorn's thought that heaven should not be called the "after-life," but life here on earth should more accurately be called the "before-life"!
It occurs to me this morning that Maggie is in the final stages of labor before her birth into real life. It has been a long and indescribably painful labor! But new life is ALWAYS worth it!! Once born she will never want to return to the dark womb of life on sinful earth. She will be free!! She will know LIFE as she has never known before! In many respects she will know life for the very first time!
And we will rejoice with her as we always rejoice over new life! But there will also be an emptiness. She will be separated from us in a way that feels just a wee bit uncomfortable, a little bit unsafe. There will be times when we miss that "movement within us" that was Maggie. But we will never truly wish her back, in the same way that we would never truly wish a newborn back into the "safety" of the womb. In the womb, although it is a SAFE place, that child will never become who he was meant to be, never fulfill his purpose. He will never experience life as it was meant to be experienced.
And we find ourselves not looking forward to the labor, a bit apprehensive about the parts we don't fully comprehend (after all, it's not like we get a lot of practice at this thing called death), but we long heavily for the birth! LIFE!!! When we "shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is"! And all the labor pains will be instantly forgotten!
I really like Randy Alcorn's thought that heaven should not be called the "after-life," but life here on earth should more accurately be called the "before-life"!
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Friday, February 10, 2012
Ephesians 3:10
Just two more days down here in Florida. Each time I come, I enjoy my time with my family more! And each time goes by too fast, although I will admit I am missing my northern family, especially my husband!
When I'm planning for the trip, I always think I will have lots of down time to read and even perhaps journal a bit, but when I'm here, I find that other things call for my attention and the days fill up quickly. That is good, though, because those other "things" are usually people related, and that's the main reason I visit. I LOVE my Florida family!
My friend's husband posted on facebook today a question that he says he's been wrestling with a lot lately - "What is the Biblical definition of church"? That got me to thinking not about the definition so much as a verse in Ephesians that talks about an important, and frankly, quite mind-boggling, function of the church - (3:10) "so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places".
I can't really wrap my mind around that! How in the world can we - frail and sinful - human beings make known anything to the rulers and authorities in heavenly places??? But once again I must remind myself that it's not about us; it is about HIM! Perhaps it takes "frail and sinful" for God's wisdom to be fully displayed. After all, how does One show the wisdom of mercy without something (or someone) requiring mercy? Same with the wisdom of grace, long-suffering, forgiveness... All those attributes of God require a recipient in order to be displayed. Our God is so beyond comphension! So other! "What is man that You are mindful of Him"?
I need to remember this verse in Ephesians and more consistently do my part in making known God's manifold wisdom to the rulers and authorities. Still MIND BOGGLING!!!
Right now I am sitting on the porch experiencing some of God's wisdom of grace - the skies are pouring down rain on a sandy land very much in need of moisture. And my heart is filled with thankfulness!!!
When I'm planning for the trip, I always think I will have lots of down time to read and even perhaps journal a bit, but when I'm here, I find that other things call for my attention and the days fill up quickly. That is good, though, because those other "things" are usually people related, and that's the main reason I visit. I LOVE my Florida family!
My friend's husband posted on facebook today a question that he says he's been wrestling with a lot lately - "What is the Biblical definition of church"? That got me to thinking not about the definition so much as a verse in Ephesians that talks about an important, and frankly, quite mind-boggling, function of the church - (3:10) "so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places".
I can't really wrap my mind around that! How in the world can we - frail and sinful - human beings make known anything to the rulers and authorities in heavenly places??? But once again I must remind myself that it's not about us; it is about HIM! Perhaps it takes "frail and sinful" for God's wisdom to be fully displayed. After all, how does One show the wisdom of mercy without something (or someone) requiring mercy? Same with the wisdom of grace, long-suffering, forgiveness... All those attributes of God require a recipient in order to be displayed. Our God is so beyond comphension! So other! "What is man that You are mindful of Him"?
I need to remember this verse in Ephesians and more consistently do my part in making known God's manifold wisdom to the rulers and authorities. Still MIND BOGGLING!!!
Right now I am sitting on the porch experiencing some of God's wisdom of grace - the skies are pouring down rain on a sandy land very much in need of moisture. And my heart is filled with thankfulness!!!
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