Death

Death

1 Corinthians 15:55 ~ Death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

Today my children experienced death for the first time.  Ashleigh’s kitten, J.J., was hit and killed by a car sometime last night or early this morning.  To see my poor daughter as she suffers the loss of her beloved cat is heart wrenching.  I wish I could shield her from the pain of loss, I wish I could take their sorrow, but most of all I wish I could tell both her and Aaron that there is no such thing as death.  But death, like birth, is a part of life. 

Ashleigh lost something very precious to her today and we allowed her to see J.J.  before she helped dig his grave and make a wooden cross out of sticks.  We helped Ashleigh grieve the best way we could.  Will she get over the loss of this beloved pet?  YES.  Will she ever forget this kitten that she thought the world of?  Probably not!

This is the perfect opportunity to teach my children that though death is final, it is not the end!  I can teach my children that even though we have a purpose here on earth, our greatest purpose is yet to come.  We are born as a sinner into a sin filled world.  We that are chosen are quickened by the Holy Spirt and at the appointed time are received into HIS fold.  By HIS Grace we do the best we can to be the best example of Christ and to witness to the lost. 

I can teach my children that although this is a sad and painful time in their lives that we can still rejoice.  We will always have the happy memories of J.J.  The things that he would do to make us laugh and the silly little quirks that made him unique.  The sting of death is painful, but it does not last forever and I can tell my children that one day we will live in a place where there are no tears, pain, sorrow or death.

Lastly I can teach my children there is a Savior and HE will give us life eternal.  I can tell my children that for those who believe we will spend an eternity with the One who has conquered the grave.

For those who are lost death is final and that is the end, there is no more; but for those that are reborn death is just the beginning.

Pull, Push & Hold ~ Part 2

I see a mother in a hurry at the store with her three children; she has many thoughts going through her head.  She is trying to remember if she grabbed that extra gallon of milk or that art supply needed for one of the many school projects.  Her mind is also at the same time going in a totally different direction, maybe she is thinking about dinner, a loved one, her children’s school activities or maybe that one bill that just won’t seem to go away.  But as I observer her and her three children I see that in her hast she is pulling one, pushing another and holding the third.  Now this is just an example of how we may treat our children when we are in a hurry or have a million things on our mind, but we know when it comes down to it and the important decision that we have to make concerning the welfare of our children the phrase pull, push and hold take on a new meaning.

On this installment of Pull, Push & Hold, I would like to concentrate on how God will Push us for our good and His Glory.  Sometimes God has to push us out of our comfort zone to accomplish what He wants done.  And after that nudge He guides us.

We are stubborn people by nature.  We hate to be told what to do and how to do it.  We feel that our way is the best way and sometimes are not able to listen to reason.  At times we treat God the same way.  God will ask something of us and give us instruction on how to do it and we will go against God so we can do it our own way.  God will then have to push us in the right direction so that He can guide us upon the correct path. 

God pushes us to do things that we would not normally do.  For example get up and sing in front of a crowd of people or maybe teach Sunday school or even invite someone to church.

I have been singing in church since I was a teenager, but it's not easy, even after 20 years I am still terrified to get up and sing.  But God has given me a small talent and I use it for His glory and yes sometimes He has to push me to do it.  Maybe the area that you could best serve God would be in a teaching type environment, leading a choir or maybe just being a part of it, or maybe it is just being apart of your churches vitiation program.  What ever work God has planned for you to do, I can almost guarantee it will at some  point take you out of your "comfort zone".  If God has called you to do something and you fight Him or you walk in the opposite direction He will push you down the path He wants you to go down. I would much rather be in the will of God then kicking against the pricks (Acts 9:5).

But once God has pushed us in the direction we are to go, He will guide us. 

Psalm 73:24 ~ Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and   afterward receive me to glory.

John 16:13 ~ Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth:  for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak:  and he will show you things to come.

I have thought about Jonah while writing this post, I would suggest reading the whole book (shouldn't take about 15 or 20 minutes, it is very short, I promise).  God told Jonah to go to Nineveh, but he ran in the opposite direction and once God got a hold of Jonah, he realized there was no running from God or what He had planned for him.  In the end Jonah did what he was told to do and God was glorified. 

We can never hide from God no matter how hard we try and in the end He will push us down the  path He wants us to take, but he will never leave us during this process, He will be there to guide us every step of the way.  God will get the glory for everything we say and do, no matter our obedience because He is sovereign.