Back from Vacation

I still have to tell you all about our Oscoda trip, but first I have to do some thinking. I am back. Back to routine. The 37 loads of laundry are done AND put away (almost). The 1/2 of the beach that we brought home with us has been swept from the laundry room floor and been properly discarded. I have been back to the gym for 2 days now and, most importantly, I am back to my early mornings with God and coffee. THAT is where I really love to be. We have, just since we have been home, experienced a lot of sad things. An acquaintance from our old church (and mother of 4 precious kids) lost her battle with lung cancer and passed away. Another friend's father-in-law died very unexpectedly. And yesterday, we notice a baby bunny living in our backyard that is covered with tumors. Why, you ask, does that have anything to do with anything? It was Grace's words that made me think about it. We have Spencer and Seth here too, so that made 6 kids staring out the window at this baby bunny, wondering exactly what these big red lumps on its legs meant. The main question was.....was it going to die? I am not a vet, much less an animal expert, or even an animal lover, so I told the kids that I had no idea, but sometimes people and animals die from things like that. And sometimes they don't. So Grace says to the other kids, "Let's just watch a movie, so we can forget about it." Was she heartless in this response? Heck no! She was trying to divert her sadness. She was trying to be strong for the other kids. I think this is what we do too. I know for a fact that I do it. I think I still do it today when I think about my own brother. Especially when people talk about BT around my mom, I know I do it. Divert the sadness. But we are supposed to feel sadness. Do I want to? Absolutely not! But, we live in a world, beautiful as it is, that is fallen and broken. We live in a world that needs Jesus more than anything. We need to realize it. We need to fall to our knees and seek forgiveness that only comes from the King of Kings - King Jesus. My heart is breaking for those kids that lost their mom. But you know what? Their momma loved the Lord with all her heart and she knew before she died where she was headed. She left a legacy for her kids, so that they too would know, that they too could be prepared. What comfort in a rotten time of grief. Trust me...I've been there. But to know that the end is not the end is a BIG deal. To know that the one you have lost is not lost forever is HUGE. What is sadder than a situation like this one is one in which the people do not know Jesus. Where they do not have a personal relationship with their own Savior. Jesus died for each one of us. He loves us more than we could possibly ever know. He wants to take away our grief and replace it with rejoicing. Think of the difference between a funeral for a person who has a relationship with Jesus and a person who does not. One is a celebration of life, both past life on earth and new life with Christ in Heaven, and the other is sadness and grief and the end. Oh, they are both the earthly end. I am not delusional. This is not false hope. Christ is real and true and living. And He is not just for me. He is for you too. Turn to Him. Fall on your knees before Him. Love Him. Accept Him. He gave His all so you could have everything.