Stuck in Saturday

I tell you the truth … you will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.

John 16:20

Penny lay awake, the heartache tonight not much less than a year ago. She hadn’t slept much since Richard had died.

Married only six months, Richard had died when his car skidded on a patch of ice. The vehicle had gone over the guardrail above a deep gorge, roll­ing several times before coming to rest at the bottom. It had been several hours before he was found, and it had taken several more to remove him from the wreckage; he’d lived for two days before succumbing to his injuries.

Penny was numb, yet her brain never shut down. She rarely went a full ten minutes without it all playing back in her mind: the scene at the trauma center, the two days in ICU, the funeral, and the emptiness. It seemed her life was stuck on replay.

Penny cried out to God for answers, answers that probably wouldn’t relieve the ache or make this any easier.

Family and friends felt she was stuck in her grief. They continued to min­ister to her in love, praying that her outlook would brighten, bringing this profound grief to an end.

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Anyone who has lost a loved one or a friend knows the depth of Penny’s heart­ache. Their absence creates a hole in us that refuses to be refilled; we’ve lost someone so precious that to think otherwise would feel like betrayal.

Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, did what He could to reassure His disciples of His resurrection. But on Good Friday nothing could take away the sting, the shock, or the pain in their chests. And all day Saturday they tried unsuccessfully to console themselves.

Then came Sunday!

The truth is if we live long enough, we will experience Penny’s pain. If we love deeply, we will grieve the same way. But someday our grief will turn to joy. It’s Jesus’ resurrection that keeps us from getting stuck in Saturday.

Death came on Friday, resurrection on Sunday, but there was a very long day in between. It’s okay to grieve. But do it with hope.

Prayer

“Give us strength to walk on in the pain, Lord. Thank You that, because of Jesus, this pain will turn to joy. Amen.”

Into Satan’s Domain

April 13

“On those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. For unto us a child is born.”

Isaiah 9:2, 6

There had been no end to the frustration and struggles Rena had endured. It seemed like the deck had been stacked against her from birth. Born two months premature to a drug-addicted mother who couldn’t support her, she’d been in and out of foster care until the age of twelve and had finally found a permanent home with the Donaldsons.

Rena, who suffered with subdued mental acuity, had struggled in the school’s special needs class. She couldn’t seem to make the pieces of the puzzle fit. The Donaldsons prayed that before the next school year something would break in their daughter’s favor.

When next year arrived, Mom led Rena into her new classroom. They were greeted by bright colors and life-size animated figures pasted on every wall in the room. On the chalkboard was a pastel rainbow arching over the words, “Welcome to Miss Jenny’s Classroom!” Rena pulled Mom down to her level and exclaimed, “I like this place, Mommy! Can we stay awhile?”

Miss Jenny greeted them with a bright smile, knelt down, and said, “I’ve been so excited and just couldn’t wait to meet you, Rena. Welcome to my classroom! We’re going to have so much fun!”

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In one brief moment, Rena’s struggles changed. Instead of it being Rena against the world, it became Miss Jenny and Rena in a partnership that could see possibilities for the future. Miss Jenny loved to turn on the lights for those who struggled to understand. She was gifted in discerning a child’s needs and developing a curriculum to meet those needs.

When Jesus entered Satan’s domain over seven hundred years after Isaiah’s prophecy, it was a light-switch event. In one brief moment, Israel had a new teacher; One Who cared about their welfare and future.

Jesus showed them a brighter path that led out of the darkness into His marvelous light. You can hear Him say, “I’ve been so excited and just couldn’t wait to meet you!”  

Prayer

 “Father of the bright and morning Star, we give thanks for Your precious gift of light and love. Teach us to faithfully follow Jesus’ path through this dark world. Amen.”

Made for Laughter

April 4

A cheerful heart is good medicine… Proverbs 17:22

Nancy and Craig constantly looked for little ways to make each other laugh, and enrich their marriage. This particular morning found Nancy headed out the door for the day as Craig was finishing breakfast. They never parted without a ‘what if’ kiss. ‘What if something terrible happened and they did not see each other again?’ So, getting up from the table, Craig joined his beloved at their favorite spot, the doorway between the dining room and kitchen. Nancy stood on the step above the threshold, Craig on the kitchen floor, several inches below her. This offset their height difference making for the perfect fit. As they embraced and kissed a mischievous thought came unbidden, to Craig. Not given time to brush his teeth prior to Nancy’s heading out the door, he realized, with increasing amusement, here was a moment given by God! Leaning back while still holding her around the waist, he looked into Nancy’s eyes and said, “I guess this makes me a cereal kisser!” Spontaneous laughter with a twinkle in their eyes, gave testimony to the love they shared. These precious moments, given of God, deepened their relationship with each other, and God.

†

We were created with an expressive nature and it testifies to what’s going on in our heart.

Many of us suffer from heavily burdened hearts, rarely displaying any sign of joy or happiness. God Himself desires to bring complete joy to our lives that we might recognize His Nature and learn to emulate it. It is my belief that we bring a smile to our Creator’s face when we laugh with abandon. One of my favorite paintings is of a head-thrown-back, all-teeth-showing, belly-laughing, Jesus. We weren’t created to walk around with a downcast countenance showing everyone how miserable we are. We will find what we look for… joy is optional. Yes, there will be sorrow, but if we look for a light heart we just might find one—filled with laughter.

Prayer

“Help us look to create those seemingly insignificant moments in life, Lord. Teach us to laugh as You intended, to love each other passionately, with fervor and great joy! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”