As we prepare to celebrate the Independence Day of our beloved country, I think anew of the Freedom in Christ purchased by a terrible price - the precious blood of our Savior Jesus Christ. He died on the cruel Cross so that we might live, not only for the time of our lifespan on this earth, but for an eternity with Him
During the time of my mother's long battle with dementia, the years seemed as if they would never end. She lived 97 1/2 years on earth, but because of Jesus, she is spending an eternity with her Heavenly Father. We who know Jesus personally, will also have that marvelous privilege. During the "dementia years" time seemed interminable. Her cognitive abilities decreased until she sat in a wheelchair unable to walk, hear, speak and truly communicate, though she continued to feed herself until near the end, and responded to smiles and the love of family and caregivers. When I begin to grieve at being unable to see her again, I imagine her in Heaven with Jesus and our loved ones who passed on before. I love the song "I Can Only Imagine" and with joy think of her being able to worship Jesus along with family, friends and those we read about in the Bible. When she was a little girl, a Sunday School teacher suggested she read and pray Psalm 91 daily. She did this during her entire life. I noticed how, even though her physical ears were deaf, her spirit man was alive. In the early years in the nursing facility she was in the Dining Room with a comedian who was singing and making jokes. Her spirit discerned he was ungodly, and rather loudly (because of her hearing loss) wanted to get out of there and she let it be known she did not like him. It was not the man, but the spirit she disliked. When godly people led hymns or shared Jesus, she sat with a hymn book (often upside down), but praised Jesus in her spirit and with a smile on her face.
As I think of her, my beloved husband and many other loved ones who've gone before, and the loved ones of our widows with whom we share this Blog, I think of the difference Jesus makes in our lives. As Christians, we all have our personal challenges, whether they be loneliness, health, financial, family, or many other concerns of our hearts. Yet, because of what Jesus has done to save and redeem us, we have an advocate to look out for and intercede for us. Jesus never had a wife or children, and thus never experienced the love of a human with whom to be one-flesh as husband and wife. Yet, He had the awesome relationship of His Heavenly Father. He also knew great rejection such as most of us will never know, from even His earthly family. His mother and siblings thought He had lost his mind when He began to preach and tried to get Him to return home with them. Yet He remained faithful, for He had a call to redeem us from our sin so that we would be able to spend eternity with Him in Heaven.
I shared with you in the past about Don Piper who was in Heaven with Jesus for 90 minutes when the Lord called him to return to earth. He spent 13 long months hospitalized in excruciating pain. Though he is now miraculously able to walk, he still lives in continual pain. He daily praises Jesus for another day to share God's love and bring more people into the kingdom, knowing we will all one day, probably sooner than we realize, be together with Jesus in our new eternal home. While we're here, he continues to look for God's New Normal plan for each day
I'd like to close with a quote from Corrie ten Boom for us all to remember when we have deep pits or challenges to get through: "Remember - there is no pit so deep that He is not deeper still."
With love and prayers for a Blessed Independence Day in Jesus,
Dee
