The past year has been, what I would consider, a year of loss for our family, friends, and church family. I have kissed the cheek of many tear stained loved ones. As I hold them in their grief, tasting their tears on my lips, I pray for strength, peace, and healing from this hole in their heart from the loss of their loved one. My heart aches for the loss and though I personally have never lost (to death) anyone, who I has left a sizeable hole in my heart. I have felt loss and felt that sizeable hole in my heart from losses of either friends and family who have chosen to not choose me. I desired to please them, to be part of their lives, to do whatever to be "in" with them. What I found was my conviction to Jesus Christ in my life being a stronger life commitment that any person on earth. My loss OR My gain? I choose life with Him over life dependent on pleasing any other person on earth. I know my Father is pleased with this decision (maybe not other decisions in my life), but putting Him first should be my #1 priority.
Our pastor recently spoke on "Let the Chips Fall". In the process of our living here on earth we have a choice to speak up for what God wants, to lead our world in His path and trust Him to take care of the "Chips". The decision to follow Him or to follow the world. When we put our faith in human's and their choices, it will fail every time. When we put our faith in God and trust Him with the repercussions of our words to stand for Him, He will take care of us. He took care of Daniel, Shadrach, Medshach, and Abednego, Paul, Peter, and many others throughout the Bible. He will take care of us. The decision I made to put God first in my life and to follow Him has been a process and will continue to be. I have watched the "Chips Fall" many times and know I am held in His arms first and foremost. As a human I miss and sometimes look back to what choices I made, I do not long to live in Babylon and my desire to live with Him. Can there be a balance? I have questioned the balance of living in the world and not being of the world. There are so many choices in this decision including gossip, drinking, partying, homosexuality, drugs, lying, lust, pro-choice, etc. So if I compromise in one area then my life will be a compromise in all areas? The grey will suck me in and I will be like the rest of the world. There will be no light in me, there will be no difference. I would have conformed to the life of the others, but I will fit in? I will have lots of friends and family....but not have God. I will be just like them... and not be like Him.
Through the losses and through our choices we still have a will and a choice to live for Him or not. The holes in our heart can and will be healed through our faith and trust in Him. He will be our Abba, our Father, our Healer, our Protector, our Strength, and our Peace ALWAYS. We do not need to look to the world for this only look to Him, on our knees, in humility, and reverence. He holds us in life and in death.
Whatever grief we experience....
