Living on the Rock

So the longer I live on this Earth, the more I long for home- my eternal home. The older I get the more pain and heartache I see. This last week we have mourned with our church body the loss of a young girl. Megan was a week shy of her 24th birthday and fought a tough battle against cancer. Megan is one of so many people I can think of who's life seemed "too short". Pain and heartache does not escape any of us. As I reflect over the last few years, I can think of quite a few parents who have lost their only child in car accidents, people who have had to watch loved ones fight too hard to keep breathing, friends who have suffered extensively because of the sin of others. It's so tempting to say, "that's so unfair, why did God allow this" etc. That is our human side hurting and wanting to beable to comprehend a God who is far bigger than His creation. Although there are many times I wish I could understand why God allowed something, I am so grateful to serve a God I cannot fully understand. What kind of a god would that be if our finite brains could fully comprehend him? His ways are higher than ours, and for that I praise Him!
So often our blogs can be so decieving in the fact that for the most part, they only highlight life at it's best. Don't get me wrong, God has given us so many things to enjoy and love on this Earth. And so we can find ourselves in this difficult place of loving so much that we have here, and the dangerous place of loving it too much. And when one that we love is taken away, will we keep living? This is what has hit me this week as my thoughts have continued to return to Megan's family. What am I preparing myself for? What am I preparing my kids for? Because this place is temporary, I want to make sure not to lay down roots here. Am I spending useless hours on entertainment, or am I investing in my future? Am I teaching my kids to long for Heaven and preparing them for it? And what does that look like? For me it means that for now, while my kids are young, I help them lay a solid fondation of knowing God and so as we get down on the floor and play, I look for every opportunity to teach them and praise our Maker. To help them to know that their brain that helps them put together puzzles, is from God, their imagination as we play house, that comes from God. When we go for walks, looking for the beauty and creativity that God put all around us. Kacia knew Megan better than Kevin and I as Megan had spent a great deal of time serving the kids in our church before she got sick. So as I was telling Kacia of Megan's death, she knew and understood that we're not sad for Megan, we rejoice for her, but we're sad for her family and friends who will miss her. (Death is a very real thing to my kids, something we talk about often because of their grandparents. Heaven is often the conversation in our car.) Kacia took the news fine, she has a very compassionate heart. Then after about 10 minutes, she looked at me and asked if Miss Megan had gotten married, and I told her no, and then this look of sadness came across her face, as if to say "that's too bad". And I quickly reassured her that though that might seem sad to us, it's okay because Heaven is far greater than marriage! And now that Megan is there, she's not sad about it either. Yes, marriage is a gift God has given us, but it pales in comparison to all that awaits us in glory! I want my kids to see that nothing here on Earth is better than Heaven, nothing temporary and impefect can ever be greater than eternity and perfection! I want me and my family to be standing on the Rock so that when a storm comes (and it will), we keep standing. There may come a day that you get an unexpected diagnosis or a terrible phone call that changes everything, will you still be standing? Our world is full of pain and suffering, and yet as a believer, we have hope that it is not all in vain. We have assurance that we serve a Mighty God who sees the big picture, and who always loves us. This love does not keep us from pain, but it makes it bearable because we don't have to walk in it alone and without purpose. And this Big, Huge, God who created all and transcends all time, is also the same Father who holds you and comforts you in times of pain and rejoices with you in times of triumph and joy. What a Mighty God we serve! May we make each day an investment in our future. May we strive to live in light of eternity. May we make every effort to know God more so that we may never question Him. May we soak ourselves in His Word so that we will hear and feel His comfort when the tears come. May we keep our eyes and hearts focused on the One that ordains and orchestrates our days on this Earth and will someday welcome us home! "Come, Lord Jesus, Come!"
(A few verses to see God's sovereignty in our trials: Deut. 8:3, Ps 66;10-12, 2 Cor. 12:8-9, 1 Pet 1:6-7, James 1:2-3,12)