heaven

I helped Karsten move this past weekend from his apartment in the suburbs to the Albany Park area in Chicago. He will be increasing his commute to work but gaining a roommate to share expenses. I rented a U-Haul truck to hold all his worldly possessions for the move. Kids his age seem to be excited about living in a big city.

I don't parallel park but had no choice in Chicago. I did have success, although part of the truck ended up over the curb! — I really dislike parallel parking. But I had no choice Saturday. I finally did have success, although part of the truck ended up over the curb! And yes, that is snow you see!

Karsten's new home on the top floor of the brownstone. — Karsten’s new home on the top floor of the brownstone.

I like to visit the city, but don’t think I would care to live there long term. I would have to parallel park every day. No thanks! The three months that Neal and I lived near the University of Chicago after his stem cell transplant I didn’t parallel park once. I would drive and drive until something else opened up. Our apartment had a small parking lot. If I didn’t get a spot in there I would watch to see when one opened up and run to get our car to park it there! It was fun to live there for a short time and experience the city life but I was glad to get back to Bridgman. ?

Driving home I thought about all the places I have lived over my life time. Because of my dad’s job I moved nine times growing up. I don’t remember the work of it but I am sure my parents do! After Neal and I were married we lived in married housing at The University of Michigan while he was in dental school. I remember the masses of cock roaches scattering as we opened the door to our apartment in married housing at night and flipped on the lights. Or sitting down to eat dinner and a cock roach decided he also wanted some of the dinner on my plate! It was also during those years that our twins were born. Many memories.

Where ever we live here on earth, that is not our permanent home. Those of us that are followers of Jesus are looking forward to a home yet to come (Hebrews 13:14). We are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control (Phillippians 3:20-21). That is the exciting end of the Easter story.

Corbin helped me make bunny rolls our of crescent rolls for breakfast. He put on the eyes and teeth.

We had fruit pizza for dessert, masterpiece by Britton!

Hard boiled hens! — Hard boiled hens for part of dinner!

When sin entered the world through Adam and Eve, God had a plan to restore his people. He sent Jesus as a little baby to be born, live and die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. Many humans killed Jesus on the cross with evil intentions, but God intended it for good. Jesus’ death would save many lives for eternity. Jesus has delivered us from the penalty of sin. He delivers us now from the power of sin. One day he will deliver us from the presence of sin. Christ will come again to defeat Satan for good. God will set up a new heaven and new earth. His home will be among his people. He will wipe away every tear, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things will be gone forever. God will make everything new (Revelation 21). Hallelujah! No more moving vans, no parallel parking, no cock roaches, no stem cell transplants…

Are you ready for Christ’s return? Are you looking forward to it with enthusiasm like my grandkids were excited about looking for the Easter eggs?

Lane and Corbin going through there loot.

My grankids were so excited to see what was inside the plastic eggs (candy of course). What is awaiting us in eternity will be far more exciting! There is no need to fear our time with Jesus forever if you have placed your faith in God. It’s as easy as ABC. Admit you have sinned, done wrong things. Believe that Jesus is who he says he is and will do what he says he will. And Commit your life to him, to live according to his ways.

You could say that Jesus lost the battle (on the cross) to win the war (against sin and death). “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty–the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.” Revelation 4:8b

Thank you Lord that my citizenship is in heaven. This world is not my permanent home, I’m just passing through. I am looking forward to my home that is yet to come. How about you?

On the journey,

Trish

In my reading of the Bible I came across a verse I had never noticed before or had skimmed right over it. How can death be precious? How can the removal of someone from this earth be considered precious? I wouldn’t have used the word “precious” to describe Neal’s death.

When we think about death we mostly view it from our point of view here on earth, a time of sorrow and loss. It leaves a deep hole, maybe anger as well as sadness. It’s a lot of work to pick up the pieces, take care of finances and so on. The verse in Psalms tells us that from the viewpoint of Heaven the death of one of God’s loved one is neither, horrible, tragic or terrible, but “precious.”

God loves us so much, even before the earth was formed or the heavens made. It was for those He loves that God sent his Son, Jesus, to leave His Heavenly Throne, take on human form, then suffer and die for His saints. We are always on His mind:

He loves us so intensely that He knows the number of hairs on our heads! He notices and cares for us in times of trouble (Ps. 46:1). When we go through the hard times He is with us (Isiaih 43:2). Jesus said that he is preparing a place for us in heaven John 14:2) so that when we die and are absent from our body we are present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). By what God has done for us, is doing for us and will do for us, shows how much He loves us and considers us precious.

Our time of being born, what we do here on earth, our time to die is all part of God’s plan. We do not die too early, too late but according to God’s time. I think our “time to die” is when our work here on earth has been accomplished. The act of removing a good man from the world is, so to speak, an act of deep deliberation on the part of God. He regards it with special interest as it is the removal of another of His redeemed children from death to life (John 5:24). Another addition to the glorious heavenly hosts above. The death of His loved ones shows the triumphal work of redemption, that Jesus conquered death on the cross.

For those who believe and accept Christ as their Savior, he gave them the right to be called his children (John 1:12). He watches over his children, even their deaths. When our time comes for us to die, our deaths are precious to Jesus. We need not fear death. I’ve shared the story before of the time before Neal died. He was unconcsious but the nurse told us that if we asked him questions, sometimes they will respond by blinking their eyes. The kids started out asking goofy questions because that would have been so Neal. I then asked him if he saw angels. Neal blinked his eyes. The kids and I looked at each other. “Neal, do you see Jesus?” I asked. He blinked his eyes. We all saw it and felt such comfort. I believe Jesus was there with Neal in his final moments here on earth. I would like to think Jesus was there smoothing Neal’s pillow, offering reassuring words, making the transition from earth to heaven comfortable. Jesus was with Neal ushering him into heaven and receiving his soul. Neal no longer was suffering in his physical body.

While we are sorrowing over the removal of a saint, Christ is rejoicing. The Lord delights in having his people with Himself. Before Jesus was betrayed and arrested he prayed, “Father, I want these whom you’ve given to me to be with me, so they can see my glory…” (John 17:24) The enterance into heaven of each one of His own people, He sees as an answer to that prayer and is glad.

So, yes, precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.

On the journey,

Trish

Tag: heaven

Easter 2016

Death precious??