I am a Christian, a retired teacher, a mother and a grandmother. I love to read and I love the Lord Jesus Christ! Unless otherwise specified ,all visual illustrations are from the YOU VERSION APP of the Bible.
I have my burial all planned, with instructions sent to my daughter and her husband. But what I don’t have written is my obituary or my epitaph. The obituary is for the grieving family to write, as they ponder the life of the loved one and decide what to include. The epitaph may also be theirs to write, but you may consider some of these examples as fitting for you.
I like this one because it carries the truth that everyone dies. After all, the Bible says, “It is appointed to man once to die…” (Hebrews 9:27)We all suffer in life, so this is another one with truth and hope for a better life to come. I would like to see a cross on it or something that signifies Jesus’s Resurrection.This is a quotation from Psalm 63:7. I like using scripture for the epitaph, especially one that is meaningful to the person who died.Another epitaph with a warning that everyone dies. How do you prepare for death? By believing in the Son, receiving the free gift of salvation and living your life for Him. This is my favorite. Notice that it is not on a tombstone, but is a scripture verse from Paul as he prepares to die. Would that all of us could have this verse written on our tombstone and that it would bear the truth. I would like for others to be able to say of me: She fought the good fight, She has finished her race, She has kept the faith.
I am not planning on dying imminently, but the curious part of me would like to know what the most fitting epitaph for me would be. What do you think would be the most fitting words for your life?
We all learned division in elementary school, and we found out that it was hard and sometimes tedious. Our nation is divided along political and religious beliefs. And it’s hard and frightening. The era of civil discourse has ended and we are entering an era of violence against those with whom you disagree. If you don’t believe me, check out Blue Sky, an app for liberals that is calling for murdering Republicans. What did Charlie Kirk do to make someone want to kill him? We don’t know yet because the killer(s) have not been caught yet. But there is plenty of speculation about the assassination being politically motivated. In my opinion, that is probably accurate, but I think that the murder goes beyond that and reveals the heart and soul of America right now.
Years ago, I can’t even remember when it ended, the proper way to respond to those with whom you disagreed was to just walk away, knowing that you had agreed to disagree. You would continue with your opinion and they would continue with theirs. Nowadays, though, the evil minds of a few are vocally calling for violence when the other side does not agree with them. The issues are as numerous as the people who propagate them, but the ones that immediately come to mind are abortion, transgender rights, and illegal immigration. Those of us on the right say abortion is murder, there are only two genders and illegal immigration is, well, illegal, so those who crossed the border illegally should return to their homeland, or at least come across the border the right way. Charlie Kirk was a conservative Christian who would debate anyone about his views, not in a manner of “in your face” and “I know you’re wrong and I will prove it.” No, he reasoned with the people who confronted him and some listened and even changed their beliefs while others were angry that he was expounding on those beliefs. May we be mindful to respect the opinions of others and to disagree with love, not with hatred.
What will be the outcome of yesterday’s murder of a young family man who loved his God, his family and his nation? We don’t know, but we can be certain that things will change. The god of this world is alive and active and dedicated to destroying the truth. As Christians, we need to be ready to stand up for our beliefs and not to back down.
I subscribe to a Substack blog called Coffee and Covid. Here is today’s post that spoke to my heart about what is happening these days and prompted me to write this post.
I will close with a photo and a scripture verse that brought me comfort and peace yesterday.
Charlie’s wife and two small children need our prayers. Our nation needs our prayers. Our leaders need our prayers. And our “enemies” need our prayers. I am comforted by the fact that God is still on His throne and although the enemy might have won this skirmish, the victory belongs to the Lord! Pray for our nation on this anniversary of 9-11. May we never forget the unity at that time and may the memory of all who sacrificed their lives on that day ever keep us true to our faith, our family and our nation.
I have always taken this verse as referring to those mourning over a loss, those who are grief stricken when someone they deeply care for has died. And I am sure that applies here, because each time I have lost someone to death, the Holy Spirit has been right there beside me comforting me and letting me know that I am not alone.
In my devotional this morning, Craig Groeschel opened my eyes to a different way to see this verse. What if it also refers to mourning over your sinful state, all of the sins that have separated you from God?
I can definitely see that interpretation, too. I think people today take sin too lightly. “I lied, but it was just a little white lie and it didn’t hurt anyone.” “Yes, I took that from the store without paying for it, but they make tons of money, so they won’t miss it.” “Sure, I am sleeping with my boyfriend! Doesn’t everyone want to try out whether you are compatible before you even think about marriage?” Since sin is rampant, just as it has always been, then we should be fervent in our desire to get others to see the consequences for their sin. We want them to mourn over the fact that their lying, stealing and fornication hurt God’s heart, and ultimately will hurt them for eternity. I would like to think that the everyday people I meet on the street don’t mean to sin; they are just following along with what is accepted in our culture. Nevertheless, sin is sin and it keeps anyone who is a sinner from getting close to the Creator who made them to have a relationship with Him. It brings tears to my eyes when I think of all of my unsaved loved ones who have been duped by Satan and the world into thinking that the little sins don’t count and if everyone is doing it, God can’t send everyone to hell, can he? Why, yes! Yes, He can and He will, even as He cries for those who failed to turn and repent. God is loving, but He is also just. Thus, we should mourn over sin and the condition of the world. Not only do individuals need to mourn over their sin and their lost relationship with God, but we should be mourning with them, in prayer daily for God to show us who is ready to really listen to the truth from His Word. His Comforter is there to help us share the truth and to comfort those who are finally realizing the cost of their sin.
This verse has always been a source of comfort for me when I mourn a lost loved one. Now it will be a source of comfort for me when I see sinners comfortable with their sins. God knows and understands that I cry out to Him for Him to lead them to the knowledge of Him and to comfort them with the joy of His salvation.
This was my devotional this morning, after a heart-wrenching day yesterday. The devotional is from the YouVersion Bible App and is entitled “Knowing God Has a Plan: 5-Day Devotional by Anne Wilson.”
When Grief Comes, Is God Still Good?
Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5
Some say grief is horror at loss…at not being able to touch them, laugh with them, or make new memories with them. Others may say it is soul-crushing…excruciating…and it makes eternity feel instantaneously close… yet so far away. For me, it is all of this on top of the what-ifs and what-could-have-beens rolled into one.
In the “Seventh of June” song, I wanted to be transparent about the process of grief…how it comes in waves and on anniversaries…how it spills out in tears. We are all in the trenches at times – “praying and trying to make sense of what don’t make sense in this life.” We are all put on notice, waiting for the impossible moment that we never want to face. But we all face loss. We are not getting off of this earth without it.
Grieving people ask themselves: Did they know how much I loved them? What should I have done differently? It can be heavy and full of despair, yet empty of adding up to make sense. How could this have happened? Why did this happen? And the ones no one likes to talk about: Is God still good? And where is God in the midst of our grief?
Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount: Blessed are the broken-hearted for they shall be comforted…but ask a new mother holding her stillborn baby if she feels blessed. Ask anyone at the edge of a hospice bed if they feel blessed.
I have learned that the blessing is having Jesus to weep with you. To hold you. To give you supernatural peace that only He can give. At my lowest times and my darkest days, the Prince of Peace is there to encourage me and to catch my tears. I want to remind you that He is good and promises us that weeping endures for a night, but joy comes in the morning.
Here are some questions to ponder as you process your grief with the Lord:
Is God responsible for our loss?
There must be a reason we have a period on earth to experience truth, beauty, and goodness but also deception, ugliness, and evil. What could God’s purposes be?
Now, back to me and my losses. Two good friends and former colleagues passed away this week, but I just heard of their deaths yesterday on my way home from my urologist. I was rejoicing that my bladder scan was good and the solution proposed was an easy one of long-term, low dose antibiotics. Then, I got the text that shattered my world and sent my heart into a tailspin. Ann Garner, the attendance secretary at the high school where I worked for so many years here in Virginia, passed away on Sunday morning. Ann was a dear friend as well as a co-worker. She and I used to go out to lunch together several times a month. After my stroke, she was gracious to include my husband Harry in our outings, since I couldn’t drive myself. We shared laughter, tears and a lot of happy times together. I spoke to her just before I went on the grad tour. She called me to tell me that a former student wanted my phone number and she wouldn’t give it to her without my permission. When I called her back, she sounded really weak, not like herself at all. So I asked her what was going on in her life these days. We hadn’t seen each other for over a year since I had health issues, she had health issues and we just couldn’t make our schedules work. But we stayed in contact, so I was devastated to hear her news that her cancer was not only back but she was on home hospice care. I asked if there was anything I could do and she just asked me to pray. So, my husband and I did. I knew then that the end was close, but I refused to accept that truth and kept praying for healing. After all, she had survived for twelve years with cancer. But the end came in spite of my prayers because God called Ann home to be with him. A widow since 2006, she is reunited with her beloved Clarence now, so I know that her cup is filled with joy. I, on the other hand, feel distraught and a deep grief, a sense of longing for our times together that won’t happen again.
The second blow came as I was online trying to find the information about Ann’s services. I finally found it on Facebook, of all places, and in scrolling, I discovered that a second colleague, Coach Joe Harper had passed away yesterday. Joe was a wonderful man and a good friend who encouraged everyone to enjoy life while we had it. After my stroke, he used to come by my room almost daily just to check in with me and ask how I was doing. I should note here that he taught all the way on the other end of a very large building, but he made the trek to the language hallway because he cared about others, including me. He used to greet us in the office at the mailboxes each morning with the same big smile and the words, “Another day in Paradise!” I truly believe that this kind and loving man who was unselfish to his core is also in the presence of the Father.
After these two deaths had time to settle in my conscious, I cried quietly, then I sobbed. Then, I went to bed early, long before my regular time. In fact, I was asleep before 6:30 last night, praying for peace and comfort for all of the friends and family and that God would give me peace and allow me to rest. He did, and I did. I awakened a couple of times as usual, made my bathroom stop and fell back to sleep. Today, I am feeling a little numb and like I have entered a world that is not well known to me. The death of two friends within days of each other invokes grief but also a wake-up call to my own mortality. None of is promised tomorrow, but if we know the Lord, we are promised eternity.
So, to answer the questions in the devotional: God is not responsible for the loss. Sin came into the world and death follows sin. God’s purpose is not always known, but He is always working out His plan, in others and in me. May the deaths of these loved ones point others to Christ. I know this must be part of His plan.
I am not really feeling joy this morning, but I am feeling a peace and a comfort that can only come from God. Whoever you are missing today, I hope that as you read these words, you will know that God is close beside you and longs to comfort you with His loving presence.
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