Skip to main content

Joy Among Sorrow

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Today I am sad as I think about my mom.  I saw her obituary in the paper and thought to myself, "Becky Teel is in heaven."  It seems so surreal at moments.  This scripture is exactly what's going on inside of me at this time of grief.  As we've said all along, there are two words for this journey, peace and sadness.  It was complete truth when Jesus spoke the words, "I do not give to you as the world gives."  Jesus left us in order that he could completely give himself to us.  What an amazing gift!  He has given us his peace, which comes with so much more than just calm.  His peace is a tranquility in upheaval, understanding without explanation, joy among sorrow, love out of pain, quiet in the midst of chaos, and  it's all perfectly personal.  The peace of Jesus transcends all earthly circumstances and reveals the final victory to its recipient.  I may be sad, but I am not troubled, nor am I afraid.  I am at peace.  Jesus holds my hand as the Spirit leads me onward.  I am sad some days, but I have been given the peace of Christ way down in the depths of my soul.  Mom is well and she is impacting the world, even though she is not here.  God is pretty darn awesome that way.  :-)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dry Bones

Ezekiel 37:14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land.  Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord. This is God's word through Ezekiel in the Valley of the Dry Bones.  There are a couple of thoughts that come to mind with this verse.  First, I have to admit that sometimes I feel as though I have dry bones.  I continue on my path and lose sight of the One who brings life. At times I am surrounded by things, people, or situations that suck the life out of me and I need the breath of life from the Spirit again.  It is a conscious effort for me to not involve myself in things that are life taking.  I make the decision to spend alone time with Jesus in order to experience His life giving power.  Second, one word in particular stands out to me in this verse.  It is the word settle.  It is speaking to me today of a peace and calm that is ahead.  Things ha...
1 comment
Read more

Signs of His Work

Joshua 4:6 to serve as a sign among you.  In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' I realize this is a very fragmented verse, but go with it.  This got me to thinking.  What are the stones in my life that serve as signs of God's work in my life?  I am not a big fan of material items because I don't really care about stuff.  It's just that, stuff.  So, I've had to think a little harder about this.  The obvious sign of God's current work is the tennis bracelet I wear in memory of Mom.  Other obvious signs that might include my Bible, Dalton's grandmother's wedding ring, and my wedding ring.  However, if I think of the things in my life that are the most evident of God's work, it would be the stories of the different journeys God and I have been on together.  The story of how I got my current job and the multitude of "God things" that surrounded that moment.  The story of a college friend telling me, "...
Post a Comment
Read more

Channels Only

2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. Our treasure is the Spirit of God and the jar of clay is our earthly body.  In this section of scripture Paul is explaining to the people of Corinth that they are a channel for God to shine through and that through Jesus we will never be separated from God again.  At the hospice house, Liz, my sister, sat down and played Channels Only on the piano.  This is a song that has deep and lasting meaning for my family, but today I instantly thought of my mother lying in the bed in the next room and felt the truth in the words of that song.  Tears began to stream as I recognized to the fullest extent what it means to be a channel for God.  It is my prayer. Channels Only by Mary E. Maxwell How I praise Thee, precious Savior, That Thy love laid hold of me; Thou hast saved and cleansed and filled me  That I might Thy channel be. ...
Post a Comment
Read more