Life has been challenging for us and several people we know. There seems to be no end to the illness, death, and even suicide. One comes to wonder where is God in all of this?How can this be happening if He is there? I remember screaming out to Him several years ago. ” I WOULD NEVER LET ONE OF MY CHILDREN HURT LIKE THIS! WHERE ARE YOU?” I soon found He was right there all the time. He was waiting in the middle of all the heartbreak to hold me up. To give me all I need in the midst of the storm. Jesus brought me amazing blessings out of that storm. I felt all was lost. That nothing  good could come from it. The life I have now makes all the tears and anguish worth it. The one thing I learned is not to run away from His hand but to run to the arms that called out “Come to me”.

 ” Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matt 11:28)

This verse has never meant so much for me as it does now. I am watching so many of us suffering the burdens of this world. There seems to be nowhere to hide from it all. The loss of life that so many of my friends have suffered lately is so heartbreaking. The loss of my Aunt Jackie, a friend who lost her brothers, and one who just lost her husband. I wonder how can we all carry on? This is crushing to the very soul.

The one thing that I have found about the character of Jesus is he is always there. He says in Deuteronomy 31:6 says ” Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” What else in this world is that dependable? The ones we love can leave us, they can become ill and pass away, or we could push them away. Jesus doesn’t come under the rules of death. He won’t pass away because He broke the chains of death. He took away the sting of death when He rose again. He left His Holy Spirit that stays by our side and upholds us when we lie broken on the ground. Our hearts shattered by loss.

Many years ago I was so mad at God. I walked away into sin. I let my anger rage against him, but even then He did not leave me. It’s funny, He was right where I left Him. When the world had it’s way with me, and I was broken, He was there. I had just let the anger and sin cover my view. He let me right back into His covering grace. He still loved me. He filled me so I could be whole again. He held me up when it became impossible for me to stand under my own power.

I know my friends who have lost so much have the same Jesus to hold them. He will hold them as they cry. If they become angry at the unfairness of it all, He will stand and wait till they can see Him again. He will give them beauty for ashes. They may not see it right now while they are in the midst, but one day they will know that Jesus meant it when He said to come to Him and He will never leave you or forsake you”

I have been thinking of what legacy will I leave to this world when I’m gone? Will I have left something grand and beautiful? Will it be a better place because I lived? What do I want my life to portray? What can I do now to make a lasting impact?

Jesus left a legacy of Peace, Love, and the Holy Spirit. John 14:27 says ” Peace I leave with you; My Peace I give to you.” That’s a serious legacy. But, what about me. A fairly unknown and unremarkable woman from Montana? What could I possibly leave to this world?

My worldly possessions may last a few years but really it could be sold at a garage sale or donated. It could also just be tossed in the dump and be gone. So nothing I physically have will last. That leaves just my children. They are my legacy.

What message will they share with the world that speaks of the kind of mother they had? Did I spend their lives filling them up with values that add to the beauty of this world or does it speak of the ugliness that seems so prevalent in society today. How many scars verbally or physically have I left on my daughter’s. I have said harmful things to them that wounded their souls. These could have lasting effects on them and this could bleed out onto their children with a legacy of self abuse and addictions to cover the scars my words left. What can I do to fix this? I don’t want that to be my legacy. I want my life to have brought joy to my girls. I can’t take away the words I spoke, so how can I stop the power those words have to destroy everyone?

They need a balm to heal those wounds left by my words. What kind of medicine does that? I gave them Jesus. He has been referred to as a balm who brings healing to the wounded.  He covers our pain with His grace and mercy. His forgiveness brings restoration. He removes the power of the harmful words that I spoke to them. He replaces those words with words of love. He fills every void I leave in their hearts. If they lack love He tells them that He loves them so much He died for them. If they are empty His Holy Spirit will fill them. If they are poor He will be their provider. If they need protection He will be their Savior. If they are hungry He is the Bread of Life. If they feel betrayed they have Jesus who is faithful and true. If they are bound by sin He is their deliverer. It goes on and on with what He has for my girls and each generation that comes after them.

So when I give my girls an understanding of who Jesus is I have given them everything. They will lack nothing because He lacks nothing. I have in no way been a perfect mother but I have given them a perfect Jesus. So my legacy is my children who will pass on Jesus to their children and grandchildren. It will never end.

 

 

Recently I have lost my dear Aunt Jackie. She was very special to me. Every year she came to my house just before school started. She would pick me up and drive me to Great Falls to go shopping. She would tell me to get whatever I wanted. I remember thinking we would go to Kmart but she always took me to the Style Shoppe, which for Great Falls was a high end store. She would buy me dresses and shoes. Making sure I had slips and socks for everything. It meant so much to me. She knew how hard it was for my Mom to supply us with clothes for school. She said I reminded her of my mom. I will always be so grateful to her. The nice clothes kept me from being ridiculed in school and made me feel special.

When I heard she was ill, myself and all her loved ones prayed for healing. She ultimately passed away. Why hadn’t God healed her? Jesus reminded me He had done exactly that. When she passed from this world she was born in the place of ultimate healing.

You can be healed in this world with just your earthly physical body. When you are healed in heaven you are healed in every way. 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 tells us that we put on heavenly bodies and we will be with the Lord which is our true home. There will be no more sickness, sin, or brokenness.

I can’t even imagine the joy that Jackie is having now. She is in the presence of God with all those who have gone before. Living in freedom of all the burdens of this earth. She knows the truth of God’s unfailing love. It isn’t just faith but it is real to her now. She has seen her parents and her husband with their new bodies. More importantly she has seen Jesus. She knows that all of it is true. Her eyes are seeing the reality of everything she hoped and trusted on. There is no worry, strife, or fear. There are no negative feelings. When I stop to think about it I cannot even comprehend that type of existence.

So sometimes, God heals our sick earthly bodies which is miraculous, but sometimes he takes our loved ones to ultimately heal them. If we saw all this with heavenly eyes we could know He is doing more for them by taking them home with Him.