The last two days have been filled with praying & sharing, sadness & praising, mourning & rejoicing, gathering & serving, all as the body of Christ.
We shared a special time of celebration for our dear sister, Eileen, as she was remembered in the hearts of so many people - everywhere.
His body - the true church - those who belong to Jesus - joined together to serve as His hands and feet. What a blessing to gather with people that didn't really know each other and watch God bond us together as we worked to serve a family who needed us in their hour of grief.
I have seen this more and more - where God is tearing down walls between us - and showing us that the 'denominational signs' on our church doors are really man-made. Don't get me wrong - I belong to a denominational church, as many of you do, but it's not the focus of who we are as the body of Christ! God knows those who are His. In heaven there will be no walls, and no signs on any doors to separate us. Christ shows us His desire to be "inclusive" with the body - rather than exclusive.
It seems that someone's death is one those times that the LORD reaches deep into the hearts of people - both believers and those who have not yet received the Savior's forgiveness - to tug and draw us to Himself! Death brings us to a place of examining our own hearts before God. We stop to examine what is important to us, we look at our own relationship with the LORD to see (if perhaps) there are changes we need to make - or priorities that need to be re-adjusted. We take time to help another, we are more tender to those around us. If only those actions (on our part) would last and not fade when we go back to our own homes and back to our own normal routines.
There will be no "normal" for Eileen's family for awhile. That's reality. Trust me, I know.
If you have lost a loved one recently or you know a family who has, I challenge you to reach out with the heart of Christ; be His hands and feet. Pray for them even more than you did before. Step in where you can to lend a hand - 3 months - 6 months - or even a year from now.
- Romans 12:15-16a (NIV)
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another.
- Galatians 6:9-10 (NLT)
So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. 10 Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.
Choosing JOY,
Stephanie
2 comments:
How I agree with you Steph. It was a great time of rejoicing and mourning together with those who have lost a dear Mother, wife, friend, and more. Something that Sally and I talked about on the way home was if our children would talk about us at our memorial, the way Eilene's daughters talked about her.
Yes, it's certainly humbling. Eileen has passed on an important legacy of FAITH that will now be carried down from generation to generation. May we use every opportunity to share the love of Christ through the examples of those who have already gone before us.
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