Do Not Worry- My Husband's Sentiment As Well As My Savior's.

 Tomorrow. For some tomorrow never exists. Eventually for us, tomorrow won't exist. We must live our lives as if tomorrow does exist for us, to do otherwise would mean what? 

My husband who passed away two weeks ago today had plans that included a tomorrow, but those plans died with him. They were good plans, plans for a favorite dessert to be had, plans for a return to the scroll saw work he loved to do, plans to have his daughter make him a lamb dinner, plans for his son to help him figure out getting a wheelchair ramp for our car, plans for an upcoming visit with his sister, Judy, brother in law, Tom and their friend. These things he planned for weren't things of worry and distress, they were things he desired to take place. My husband didn't live worrying about his tomorrows, not for the most part. If anything, my husband was more worried about my tomorrows than his own.  

Jerry taught me that I shouldn't worry, but my nature is one of worry- a fault of mine that I constantly need to seek my Savior for, needing forgiveness because my Savior doesn't want me to worry either. Worry doesn't change anything, my husband said this and my Savior, Jesus says the same thing. 

I can look to the memory of my husband and what seemed to me to be an unnatural ability not to worry, and holdfast to that. I can look to my Savior and know that no matter what comes as my future alters- with the possibility of even losing my entire current way of life- home, possessions, the nearness of current family members, the garden I've planted again and again for several years, the trees I've watched grow from seedlings to over 15ft tall, the cuttings of trees given me by a hospice nurse before my mother passed, trees Jerry wanted planted- waiting to enjoy their fruits. So much might be altered, so much might be changed in my life, the future wants to fill me with fear and foreboding- but my Savior wants me hope, my future to be Him. Should I lose all things- home and garden, friends and family being close, possessions once owned by great grandparents, grandparents, parents and yes, my husband- I will still have the greatest treasure of all, Jesus and salvation in Him. We are told to put our treasures in heaven…

Mat 6:20  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 

Mat 6:21  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also

Laying my treasures in heaven… where life changing, my husband passing, cannot take a single thing I've place there with my Savior, this is what I must do through the grace of God, by faith in my Savior and not in myself.

Treasures in heaven. Will I mourn the loss of my earthly treasures, I imagine so, but by the grace of God I will take all my solace in my heavenly treasures- my Savior and eternal life with Him one day, those future joys no one, and nothing can take from me. 

God's will be done.

I will live as if tomorrow exists, I will make plans just as my husband did, just as we all do. I will live trusting in my Savior, He alone knows what my future holds. May I, through the Holy Spirit, learn not to worry, but to trust, to have faith in my God.

Jesus said--

Mat 6:34  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. 

Mat 6:11  Give us this day our daily bread. 

Mat 6:25  Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 

Lam 3:22  It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 

Lam 3:23  They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. 

Heb 13:5  Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 

Heb 13:6  So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

Joh 14:27  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid

Joh 16:33  These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. 

Act 14:22  Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. 

1Th 3:3  That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. 

1Th 3:4  For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know. 

Mat_28:20  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

No Thought For the Morrow.

 Time.

Time for us right now is finite.

Time when we die- ceases for us.

When Jesus Christ sounds the trumpet and the dead in Christ rise, time will begin again- and for those rising saved through Christ- it will be eternal time.

During our pilgrimage here on earth as the years go by we are caught up in a twisted, sick, painful, heartbreaking and also- beautiful life.

Men's heart failing them for fear -

Luk 21:26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

Luk 21:27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

Today, it is so easy to let ourselves fear. There is so much uncertainty in our world on every side. There is no such thing as feeling secure and safe in our life, not really. We can go days, weeks, months and years without too many problems, but that's not often the case. Some people live in a perpetual state of insecurity, uncertainty, feeling vulnerable and yes, scared, fearful. People can and do make themselves sick with fear and worry. Just knowing that we don't know what the future holds and only appears grim, can trouble us deeply. So much in our lives scream out for us to worry and be afraid.

God tries to tell us this very important lesson we’re likely to forget-

Mat 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Mat 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

Mat 6:26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

Mat 6:27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

Mat 6:28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

Mat 6:29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Mat 6:30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

Mat 6:31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

Mat 6:32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Mat 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

So much TRUTH to learn!

We are living in very tumultuous times. And we have every reason to fear should we choose to allow this temporary life take precedence over our eternal life.

We are to SEEK the Kingdom of God and His righteousness FIRST before anything else- before money, food, clothes, shelter, health, all things.

Help us to this end, Lord. We would not that our hearts fail us for fear looking after the things coming, no matter what those things are. We ask that You uphold us with the right hand of Your righteousness and give us the peace that passes ALL understanding! Help us to trust in You with ALL our heart and lean NOT to our own understanding. We can't hope to understand what isn't ours to do so. Satan would have us understand everything, but he is evil and wants us to take our eyes off you and keep them on ourselves. Please, Lord, help us to keep our eyes EVER on you even as our individual lives fall apart piece by piece around us, never staying the same, never staying in a place we can be secure and content. Let us fine our security in YOU, no matter what chaos befalls us! Please, LORD, save us from ourselves! Save us! Keep us from evil! Keep our Hearts so they don't fail!

All through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, now and forever!!!!!!! Amen!

*******

CONTINUED-

1894

(Excerpt from- )

Christ and the Pharisees -OR Christ's Faithfulness in Sabbath-Keeping.

BY A. T. JONES. 1894 [Religious Liberty Library, No. 18] [Cont.]

But that was not the end of the story. They did this to save the nation from the Romans. They said, If we let this man thus alone, all men will believe on him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation. They did not let him alone, and the Romans came and took away both their place and nation forevermore. Their efforts to save the nation destroyed the nation.

Self-efforts for salvation will always destroy him who makes them.

But let us follow this in its direct intent and purpose. Their efforts to save the nation, not only brought destruction to the nation; but the thing which they did that night settled the doom of destruction for that nation forever. There was no more salvation for that nation, as such, after that night, than there was for Sodom when Lot went out of it. It was only a question of time when the destruction would come. And in view of that destruction Jesus sent forth his disciples with the everlasting gospel of this same Saviour whom they had crucified; to call every one in the nation, as an individual, to believe on him, not only for salvation from self, but for salvation from this destruction that was so certain to come.

Every believer in Jesus escaped the destruction that was to come. Those who did not believe on him, did not escape. From that time forth they needed Jesus Christ for their salvation in this life as well as for the other life. They were just as dependent upon Jesus Christ to save them from the ruin that was to come, as they were dependent upon him to save them from their own personal sins. And he gave them a sign by which they were to know when to flee for their lives and escape that ruin:-

"When ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountain; let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto; let them that are in the midst of it depart out; let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house: neither let him which is in the field return hack to take his clothes. But pray ye that your flight he not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day, for these be the days of

vengeance. Luke 21:20-22; Matt. 24:16-20.

So the doom of the nation was fixed that night. And all that the Lord himself could do for them after that was to send his saving message to the whole nation, to all the people, telling them to believe in Jesus and they would be saved out of the nation, and from the ruin that was to come upon all the nation who did not believe.

We have already spoken of a parallel to this line of things in our day. Let us notice this further now. There have been in this nation for nearly fifty years now, a people, the Seventh-day Adventists, giving a special message in which God's ideas of the Sabbath are most prominently advocated, believed, and observed. The Pharisees and the doctors of the law saw it when it began, and they have watched it ever since; and they have said, "O, it will amount to nothing; this is just a little flurry; their preaching creates quite a stir for a little while, but as soon as they are gone, the whole thing will die out, and it will amount to nothing." They have said that at the beginning, and all the way along; but steadily they have seen that it does not work that way. Steadily they have seen God's ideas of the Sabbath finding a place among the people, more and more, and becoming more widespread. Although the word might be spoken in weakness, there was that about the words that were spoken, which caused them to linger with the people, and to stay in a person's heart for twenty years or more, and at last bring him to God. They saw it doing this. And then they saw that they would have to take more active measures than that, if they were going to maintain man's ideas of the Sabbath against the Lord's, and they did it. They enforced the State Sunday laws to a greater or less extent at different times, and in different places; but that did not stop the spread of God's Sabbath. Still it went on. Then they said, "If we let this thing alone, and let this people alone, this will become a whole nation of Sabbath-breakers. They go into a community and preach, and they get only a few at the most, and probably none at all, to keep the Saturday; but they break up the people's keeping Sunday, and therefore they are simply making the nation a nation of Sabbathbreakers; and it must be stopped, or the nation will perish for Sabbath-breaking; the judgments of God will come upon the land, and destroy us all."

Therefore they were compelled to have the power of the nation joined to them to put under foot and crush out of existence, as far as lay in their power, God's idea of the Sabbath, and exalt man's. They tried it little by little, and more and more, upon the national legislature and the national power; but large numbers of the national legislature, like Pilate of old, said at first: "We find no fault in this; we will have nothing to do with it; attend to it yourselves; it is a controversy of your own; it is a religious matter; and if it comes up here, we will vote against it, every one of us." Scores of them said that. Then these Pharisees and doctors of the law said to the representatives of the government, "If you do not do what we ask of you, if you do not vote for that Sunday law, setting up Sunday here for the Sabbath of this nation, we will never vote for one of you again as long as we live, for any office under the sun."

Then too, just like Pilate at last, these legislators surrendered and said, "We will do it-we will do it." They sat down in their official seat and took jurisdiction of the case, under the threats of these Pharisees and doctors of the law. And in the doing of this, these Pharisees and doctors of the law did as certainly turn their backs upon God, and join themselves to Cesar-to earthly power-as did the Pharisees and priests and doctors of the law of old. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation; the power of God belongs to every professor of the gospel, and he who has the power of God cannot possibly have any other. No power can be added to the power of God.

Then he who professes the gospel, and calls for any other power, denies the power of God; and when he denies the power of God, and puts his confidence in the power of man, whether man as an individual, or man assembled in governments, he puts his trust in human power instead of the power of God. And when these people sent up their petitions and their prayers to Congress instead of to God, they turned their backs upon the Lord, upon the power

that goes with the gospel, and turned their attention to man for their help, to carry out this work in which they were engaged.

And thus they got Congress-yes, they got the whole government of the United States-to take jurisdiction of the case. They took the fourth commandment as recorded in God's word, and put it in the official record of the governmental proceedings, and then deliberately changed it. They definitely and purposely put the Sabbath of the Lord, the seventh day, out of God's commandment, and put the Sunday of the papacy in its place. They said the words Sabbath day "may mean Saturday or Sunday; it may be one day or the other, and we declare that it is and shall be the first day of the week commonly called Sunday," and that that is the meaning of the fourth commandment. Thus under these threats the Pharisees and the doctors of the law of to-day, got the governmental authority to do just what it did back yonder,-they got the governmental power to put the Sabbath of the Lord under foot, and as far as lies in their power, to crush it out of existence, and put man's ideas of the Sabbath in it instead. That thing is done. Everybody on earth knows that that is past. And to day we are that far along in the record made by Jesus in his faithfulness to Sabbath-keeping. This nation stands now where that nation stood when it rejected Jesus Christ because of his ideas of Sabbath-keeping. Back there they did it to maintain their own ideas of the Sabbath against the

Lord's, and they did it to save their nation. And these here did it for the same purpose. Three United States senators, each one in his place, said definitely that this must be done for the salvation of the nation. Two of them had more to do than any others to carry it through, and the third one not much less,-Senators Hawley of Connecticut, Colquitt of Georgia, and Frye of Maine, each of the three placed the salvation of the nation as the purpose of setting up. Sunday as the Sabbath under these threats. Then, as the same thing has been done here and now by the like parties, for the same purpose, and by the same means, we are that far along in the account. Then what comes next? Will the rest of the account be met? Must assuredly it will; for it was all written for us. (To Be Continued…)

Reminded- Temporary to Eternity

 The following was written June 10, 2021- I had no clue how much I'd need to read it today. Praise God for keeping me in His love always. I cry until I can barely breathe, only to have spent tears dry- His solace is there as I'm reminded, this life is temporary to eternity. 

*(June 10, 2021)

She walked through life seeking a relationship with Christ, the perfect, loving, savior- Christ. She heard his beckoning entreaty to come to Him - to Him, as she labored through life's many trials and extreme tribulations. 

As the weight of her world rested upon her heavily, she was told to come to Him for rest. Rest offered to her by her Savior. Rest from all the extreme burdens weighing her down until the exhaustion threatened her very existence. 

Rest.  But then her Savior said, to take His yoke. A yoke, a weight, a burden upon a beast, a yoke, a bondage of heaviness pressing down upon her. Her Savior wanted her to take His yoke. Her Savior wanted her to burden herself yet further just after He offered her rest from being heavy ladened, spent through laboring and He wanted to place upon her another yoke, His yoke. 

Take it, He told her. Take this new weight upon you. Take my weight upon you. Take this shared weight - the yoke was meant for two - it was still His as He offered to let her take it with Him. Take my yoke on you, He told her, take it and learn of me, He said. He wanted her to learn of Him by taking His yoke with Him. The rest He offered was His rest. Shared burden. Knowledge of a true sharing of all the labor and heavy laden life bits that encumbered her. Shared by the knowledge of Him and ALL He represents. No false advertising. A clear truth that revealed the war and what it would mean to be on the side of the Savior. 

Knowledge that every single aching heart moment she experienced was shared with her Savior. Knowledge that all the heart ache, the worst of the worst she was going through, had  already gone through, and had yet to face was all temporary, all momentary. Knowledge that learning of her Savior meant learning of heaven, learning of heaven's true everlasting treasure, and knowledge of heaven being where all her treasures must truly reside. 

So much learning, relearning, studying, ever studying of Him. Knowing Him. Learning to keep the knowledge of Him. Learning of Him as we learn the greatest of life's lessons, those we never forget.  Learning of Him because He must be our breath, breathing Him. Learning of Him because He must be our heart beating, living Him. 

*******

(Excerpt)

'The School of Christ. The church of Christ is not composed of perfect men, but of those who are seeking perfection. He is the perfect One, and he sends out the invitation: "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me." Mat. 11:28, 29. Having called all to come to him, he says, "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." John 6:37. As one has said, "God reaches for the hand of faith in man to direct it to lay fast hold upon the divinity of Christ, that man may attain to perfection of character."

The faith may be very weak, but God does not reject him on that account. Paul thanked God that the faith of the Thessalonian brethren grew exceedingly (2 Thess. 1:3), which shows that they did not have perfect faith at the first. It is true that God is so good that every person ought to trust him fully; but just because he is so good, he is very patient and forbearing with those who are not well acquainted with him, and he does not turn away from them because they are doubtful. It is this very goodness and forbearance of God that develops perfect faith.'

(Excerpt)

Articles on Romans  by E. J. Waggoner Chapter 14

All Things.

 (This little study was written just a few months ago… I didn't realize then how much I'd need to read it today.  By the grace and mercy of God may I live to serve Him, may I understand fully that the life I live now is by His will, trusting in Him for ALL things.  

Rom 8:26  Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 

Rom 8:27  And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. )

We delude ourselves every day we wake up without realizing we wake up warriors. We do! You are a warrior! You don't have to believe it, many don't, but you are and so am I. Not a single day of our lives will we wake up a non-warrior. If we are deceived into thinking that we can wake up in this world to a life without upsets, we may never find a warrior's peace. Even the best day of our lives can only be considered a respite in our battle, not the end of the battle. The war is not over and will never be over until our Lord returns. Anyone that kids themselves into believing they have the right to a peaceful day- a day without controversy, without conflict, without struggles, isn't facing the truth of life. This life is a war. You will face many battles with faceless enemies. You will battle foes within your very self. You won't want to be angry, selfish, sinful in any way, but you will encounter constant battles with these enemies. Those you're fighting aren't decked out in battle fatigues with labels written across their helmets for you to recognize. The attackers will be your reactions to every situation you face in your entire life. The good and the bad situations and your responses to them, these are the enemies we war against. They are demons within, not the demons without. Those physically warring against us, causing us to have many difficult situations that produce an enemy response from us, aren't responsible for our reactions, we are. We like to blame others, we lie to ourselves and say if only they didn't do that I wouldn't have done this. We like to bemoan the horrors of our situations- government, all bureaucratic nonsense, our bosses, managers, customers, co-workers, family members… the list goes on and on. And while the tragedy of circumstances has landed us in our devastating positions with the truth that we have come face to face with life's horrors without any provocation on our parts, we still must answer to our own reactions. Any blame we lay upon another, is like admitting we don't realize we are in a horrible life war. This life war we live is ruled by a vicious evilness intent on making us live in despair, depression, sadness, anxiousness, complacency, delusion, defiance, and more often than not spiritual blindness that keeps us from ever realizing we are engaged in a life war at all. Every friend, every foe, and all those that fall in-between those two are in the same position we are in! They are warriors and answerable for their own responses, their own behaviors, just like us! Because we are individually accountable for ourselves- if another treats us wrongfully they must answer for that -if not now, eventually. We aren't their judge, we are our only responsible for OUR response to all others.  We wake up warriors and today I may face a broken water heater enemy, a rainy day ninja warrior, the death of a loved one archenemy, a nasty remark henchman, a rotten tomato rival , a burrowing squash worm nemesis, a broken stem on a favored flower challenger, a leaky faucet adversary, an empty mailbox opponent, an unanswered text monster, a non-returned phone call demon, a long wait in a long line antagonist, a shelf empty of the reason for my trip to the store nightmare, a sour look from a son brute, a curt tone from a husband beast, a foul word from a daughter ogre, a scratch from a cat fiend, a hairball underfoot devil…. Every single instance of upset no matter what the cause is an enemy that wants to produce a response from us that causes us to sin. You are a warrior of response to all that would cause sin. We don the armor of our Lord not just when we go into known battles. We don the armor of our Lord every single day of our lives and we never remove it, never. We keep this armor on because our entire life is a war… of response to all that befalls us!  If we truly believe we deserve to have a peaceful day without incident, we are setting ourselves up for the enemy to knock us down. The peaceful day isn't dependent upon ANY outward thing! The peaceful day we can have must be in the peace of God that passes our understanding. The peaceful day must be found in Christ risen first and foremost, because all else means NOTHING. 

The tragedies of life cause us grief as they must, even our Savior wept, but as our Savior wept He continued to endure through God the Father. We can weep and endure through Christ our risen Savior! We can weep bitterly then we must cling to the only sure hope we are ever given in this life- Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior now and forever!  Know you are a born a warrior. Know the war you are fighting. Choose the side that has won. Fight the skirmishes you face every day in whatever size, or form they take knowing you fight on the side of winner of the crown. Battle knowing one day the war will be over and we will be with the Captain of our Faith, our King, our Lord Jesus Christ!  Don't dismiss even the smallest annoyance as anything other than an attack by the enemy, and know that enemy has lost the war and only lives to try and take as many people as he can with him. Know that every single upset has its origins in the enemy you war against- and you can choose to trust in your King with your responses to the enemies attacks. Recognize the source of your difficulties, despise the demons as they torture you- mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually! There is a reason we are told this…

Php 4:6  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 

Php 4:7  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 

Php 4:8  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 

Php 4:9  Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

 

Just Be Held.

Isa_38:14  … I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail with looking upward: O LORD, I am oppressed; undertake for me.

Pro 14:13  Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heaviness. 

This song keeps going through my mind today. We are blessed to have such music to comfort us, to put into words our emotions. 

Song lyrics - Just Be Held by Casting Crowns ---

Hold it all together

Everybody needs you strong

But life hits you out of nowhere

And barely leaves you holding on

And when you're tired of fighting

Chained by your control

There's freedom in surrender

Lay it down and let it go

So when you're on your knees and answers seem so far away

You're not alone, stop holding on and just be held

Your world's not falling apart, it's falling into place

I'm on the throne, stop holding on and just be held

Just be held, just be held

If your eyes are on the storm

You'll wonder if I love you still

But if your eyes are on the cross

You'll know I always have and I always will

And not a tear is wasted

In time, you'll understand

I'm painting beauty with the ashes

Your life is in My hands

So when you're on your knees and answers seem so far away

You're not alone, stop holding on and just be held

Your world's not falling apart, it's falling into place

I'm on the throne, stop holding on and just be held

Just be held, just be held

Lift your hands, lift your eyes

In the storm is where you'll find Me

And where you are, I'll hold your heart

I'll hold your heart

Come to Me, find your rest

In the arms of the God who won't let go

So when you're on your knees and answers seem so far away

You're not alone, stop holding on and just be held

Your world's not falling apart, it's falling into place

I'm on the throne, stop holding on and just be held

(Stop holding on and just be held)

Just be held, just be held

Just be held, just be held

2Co 1:3  Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 

2Co 1:4  Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 

2Co 1:5  For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. 

2Co 1:6  And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. 

All through Jesus Christ, our lord and Savior, now and forever!!!!!!! Amen!

Sackcloth and Ashes... Please.

 I Wish I Had Sackcloth and Ashes - The Roof Inspector Would Have Known.

Girded with sackcloth- put on the mourning clothes so all can know you grieve. Mourning clothes have gone out of style now in this day and age. No one can look upon me and know I'm in mourning simply by my clothing. What solace there must be in having mourning clothes on. I'm not saying there should be strict rules about mourning clothes, that you must remain in those mourning clothes for a year or the like. I'm saying if I had a garment of mourning upon me that complete strangers would see and know that I'm grieving a loss, wouldn't that elicit more healing balm of sympathy towards my grief? 

A roof inspector (for the new roof the home owner is having put on the house we rent) maybe he would have felt less ill at ease when he asked me how I was. You know, it's the polite thing to do when you see someone. How are you? Many people ask this question in our way of life. You go into a store, they ask, 'How are you?' You answer the phone, 'How are you today?' You all know what I mean, it's the question of the day for so many people. I know I've asked that very question myself, all the time.  So when said inspector asked me how I was doing - guess what I said? I said, I'm okay.  It's the response people want to hear isn't it? That's the go to answer to the question. Before the Inspector could reply I blurted out, 'That's not true, I'm not okay, my husband just passed away.'  You've heard the expression, deer in the headlights, right? Well, Mr. Inspector's eyes widened and he stammered just a touch and offered his condolences.  All might have been well if I'd stopped there. But I babbled on. 'He died unexpectedly. And, and our car there in the ditch just broke down, something with the ignition."  And Mr. Inspector gave me a commiserate smile and said, 'If it's not one thing it's another, these thing seem to come in bunches.'  Or some such very well meaning platitude. Remember, he was trying to inspect the roof. He didn't walk up my driveway to catch me returning from checking the mail box down at the end of the street, to be confronted by me… in mourning.  Now, if he'd been able to see a garment on me that alerted him to my mourning just how different things might have been for the poor unsuspecting man. He'd have known and not been caught off guard by my grief. The rawness of that grief cried out for comfort, yet to expect a stranger, duty bound only to inspect the roof, to offer that comfort was unsettling. I walked into the house in a bit of disbelief that I'd said anything at all. I don't usually talk to strangers let alone tell them bits of my personal life. It's not like I didn't have a daughter in my house to comfort me, I did and she did comfort me, and helped me with my feelings of anxiety over my own unusual behavior, thank God.  

Again, I wish I had sackcloth to wear, society acceptable sackcloth, and perhaps a few ashes to go with the sackcloth, then everyone would know and they'd perhaps give me a small understanding smile, a glance of much needed understanding, a quiet- 'I'm sorry for your loss.' There needn't be any details, but just a sharing of situation, a situation we all find ourselves in more often than we'd like throughout our lives. 

No sackcloth will touch me, no ashes will darken my flesh, I will walk about as if all is right in my world to all outside appearances. All isn't all right, I've a large crack in my heart invisible to the world. 

My Lord understands my broken heart, He came to heal broken hearts. My Lord sees beneath the outer garments void of all visages of mourning, and He knows my deepest grief. My Lord knows how to mend this heart ripped opened when my love, my Jerry fell into his last, his deepest of peaceful sleeps. The blood of a heart torn ragged streams through my very being, and My Lord, knows. My Lord sends the kind words of those who do know I'm grieving, who do not need to see me decked in widow garments. Each kind word, each loving gesture, every single prayer breathed through the Spirit to my God, from all those who've prayed and continue to pray for me- this is the balm of My Lord as He tends to stitching the wound of my heart.

2Sa_3:31  And David said to Joab, and to all the people that were with him, Rend your clothes, and gird you with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And king David himself followed the bier.

Rend your clothes- grief so raw, the very action of tearing at your own clothes to reveal such pain, this is what David, beloved of God did and asked others to do to honor the death of a man

*

All through Jesus Christ My Lord, My Savior now and forever! All through His mercy and His grace! All thanksgiving, praise and honor, all glory to HIM! Amen!!!!!!!

His Strength.