Freedom To Grieve

It saddens me to hear of others being beaten down when they are grieving.  Sometimes people seem to think that when you are a Christian and have the hope of Christ that one should not grieve at a loss or that they should do it more graciously.   I have lost many that I love.  Most in my family were not Christians.  I have also known several people who have died who did know the Lord.   There is grieving either way but there is a difference.  If you have ever experienced both, as I have, you know the difference.  The difference is not in whether you grieve but in how you grieve. If grieving  for a Christian there is still a loss in the death but with a future comfort.  If grieving for a non Christian there is not only the the loss of the life but of the eternal death without hope.

Often times when there is someone who has been such a bright ray of light for Christ in your life and then they go through a tragedy we expect them to breeze through things joyously.  We may not admit to that but we often do not know how to handle the depth of their pain.  It is uncomfortable and we often want them to appear stronger in order for our faith to be strengthened and to avoid the pain ourselves.

Though Christians have an everlasting hope with great peace and comfort that does not mean that we do not experience loss, pain, anger, or question.  It is possible to do all of those things and still rest in God.

We must not forget that people grieve differently, that grieving is important, and to not dismiss one’s emotions.  Unless we are in their place we cannot feel what they feel.  Often our minds and hearts know and trust the Lord yet our emotions do not always fall in line.  This is a battle and one which must be faced.  Let them fight with their emotions and cry out to God.  Let them question and seek answers from the Lord.  Let them cry, mourn, and grieve.  It does not mean that they are no longer trusting the Lord, it does not mean that they have forgotten their hope, it is uncomfortable but it is also what draws them closer to the one who can truly bring comfort.  Do not hinder that by requesting or even at times demanding that they “be strong” and “take heart”.  God is big enough to allow them to grieve and to carry them through.  We must allow them to grieve and to let the Lord work.

Romans 12:15

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.

It seems easy to rejoice with those who rejoice. The test comes when we are called upon to weep with those who weep. It is a more difficult task, one which costs us more, and one in which we are called!

Is it too Soon?

Is it too soon to be taking a break from schooling?  Last week we completed three days of school.  This week I plan on completing four days.  As for today though we are taking a break.  Mostly because I didn’t get much sleep last night and am just a bit worn out.  I have been thinking we are getting off to a slow start but trying to remind myself that I wanted to ease into school this year.  That is the main reason we started school as early as we did.  I wanted to be able to take a break now and again and not feel like we were falling behind.

So for today, I am resting.  We are being lazy and just enjoying one another!  Tomorrow will be a new day full of studies then the weekend!

Glorifying God Devotion

We begin each of our school days with a devotional. We have a particular devotional book we are working through that I will share with you at a later date.

This entire week has focused on the first question of the Westminster Catechism.

Q. 1. What is the chief end of man?
A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.

As we have been meditating on glorifying God there have been several things this past week that have been derailing us. The first week of school is usually a little chaotic but on top of that we have had dental appointments, a birthday to celebrate, alarms to rise by, a friend going through brain surgery, and severe colds and fevers to deal with along the way.

To go along with all of this has been some major attitudes that need adjusting. When you are tired, sick, emotionally hurting, and busy it is easy to get cranky. It is easy for forget that we are to be glorifying to God and to begin to focus on our circumstances rather than on our Creator. It can be difficult to always keep our focus and remain self controlled.

This whole week has been filled with us studying about how we are be glorifying to God all the while we are doing the opposite with our hearts, attitudes, and actions!   How convicting it that is!   How disheartening it is!    How thankful it makes me for a loving and forgiving Savior.    I am so grateful that even when we fail in our faithfulness, He does not!

A Heart Wrenching Week

Today I come to you asking for prayers for a dear family.  We have friends here in Alaska who are missionaries with Cadence International.  They work along side the chaplains (my hubby) on base.  Dan and Barb are a blessing to all they come in contact with and have such an amazing heart for the Lord and for sharing his love with others.  Barb had been having symptoms of several things for years and was having them treated. Headaches, nausea, vertigo, depression, long hours of sleep, and what they thought was reactions to some of the medications for these ailments.  Almost 3 weeks ago, she began to have other symptoms.  The doctors decided to do a MRI.   They found a very large brain tumor.  It was about the size of a plum; an orange if including the sac which contained it.

They were hoping it was a benign tumor but when she went into surgery this past Wednesday to remove it they discovered it was the most aggressive type of cancer they could have anticipated, Glioblastoma multiforme.  The first day after surgery Barb seemed to be doing well.  She was up a bit, eating a bit, and conversing a bit.  The next couple of days as the swelling increased things began to change.  She became unresponsive falling into a coma.  They went in for surgery again.  This is where we wait.

She is in ICU currently.  She is in a medically induced coma and on a ventilator at the moment to allow her to rest and heal.  They will most likely try to wake her and remove the ventilator today. We hope and pray!

Her family is struggling greatly.  They have gone from thinking it was a benign tumor, to knowing it was cancer with an average of 15 months survival, to almost loosing her.  We are all still waiting.  Her parents are here now.  Her sister has been here all along.  Her husband, though constantly surrounded by those who love him, is lonely and longing for his wife.  His children, though they do not know the full extent of the situation, are struggling to deal with things.  Their faith is being challenged.

I ask that you fervently pray for their family!  If you want to know more accurately how to pray, they send updates via twitter.   Thank you all for your faithfulness to pray!

Three Years Ago Today……

This little bundle of joy was born! She was one of our more traumatic births and gave us a big scare in her first two weeks of life but God is so very good! Here she is a beautiful, healthy, BIG girl now!  Happy Birthday Sweetheart!  We love you!

A God of Balance

Often people have a disproportionate view of God.  Some focus on his love, mercy, and grace while neglecting his justice and wrath.  Others Focus on his justice and wrath and neglect his love, mercy, and grace.  We must seek to know God and all of his character or else we do not truly know him.  God is glorified through all of his attributes!  He is glorified in his grace and glorified in his display of justice.  Even in his display of justice there is an element of his mercy and grace.  Even when things are destroyed they are not utterly destroyed.  When there remains a remnant there is mercy and grace!  Praise be to God!

Psalm 136 is a beautiful portrait of this.