If you're up for a few of my thoughts, here they are as well:On Easter Sunday Woody taught the Easter Bible lesson in our class. At the end of his lesson he asked the class how their life was different because of the Resurrection. Granted we had an unusually large class that day making speaking up more difficult and admittedly I am just as guilty if not more so because I know the questions ahead of time, but I was stunned that there was not one answer to that question from our class. I sat there thinking that if our lives weren't so comfortable or if we were in a land where Christians were persecuted for their faith, we would all have passionate answers to that question. Instead, I had spent the morning frilling up my little girl for what is basically equivalent to the toddler prom and then parading her around our church and taking pictures in front of our house.
Then Friday came. My cell phone rang at 5:30am. Patrick Cecil had died. The beloved 4 year old son of our friends from our Sunday School class at church. He had joined his twin brother who died 4 years earlier, days after birth, in heaven. How do you swallow that? How do you go on? As God would have it, Woody and Patrick's father had actually discussed matters of "why/how" in their lives only a few weeks earlier. His father told us that you can't be mad at God, for He is what helps you through the hard times. Don't be mad at Him for those times, but be thankful for the grace He provides to endure those hard times. The Cecil's lives had already been proof of the verses in Romans 5:1-5 (that we actually named our daughter, Hope, from). Trials have already produced proven character and hope in their lives. Did they have to prove it again? I'm not yet sure how God will show His glory in this situation. I pray God's mercy and grace become more real to the Cecils even than before. I pray miracles for their souls. I don't know what it will look like but I'm sure that God will be faithful to them. One thing I DO know, I can answer Woody's question of how the Resurrection affects my life. If God had not overcome death, if God had not made possible a personal relationship with Him and if God had not sent the Counselor Holy Spirit then life would not be worth living. Thank you Jesus.
2 comments:
I have another answer to Woody's question. It means this life isn't the end. It means that I'll see my Mother an Dad again. That you'll finally meet your Grandma Uarda. That Woody will see his Mom again. And that Eric and Tisha will spend eternity with both of their little boys.
That is an awesome post Leigh Ann. It made me cry that no one had an answer. My answer would have to be that I know that I am forgiven and that when I die, I don't really die, that I will get to meet the most wonderful man ever--- JESUS. And I am also looking forward to one day see my Dad, Grandma, and others who have passed away before me.
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