This side of Heaven.....

Death on this side of Heaven, sucks. I'm just being real here. There's nothing glamorous, nothing pretty, nothing heart warming about it.....at least in my experience. It is ugly, messy, heart wrenching and at times a nightmare. My dear friend woke up this past weekend in the middle of this nightmare. Her teenage son passed away suddenly. He was a precious treasure of hers and now he's gone. There are no words to describe this loss, this grief, this pain.

There's no way to prepare our hearts to say goodbye to someone we love....especially our own child. It is in fact, a nightmare. I remember days after my mom died, I would sit straight up in bed gasping for breath. I would wake up from horrible dreams as my mind and heart tried to process what was happening. My husband would comfort me and help me through those dreams....but it was prayer that gave me strength and allowed me to put one foot forward each day.

God knows that death is horrible this side of Heaven. He knows the pain and the suffering. He knows how we feel. He knows the depth of our tears. His own Son, Jesus Christ, died a horrific death on the Cross to reconcile US to HIM. It didn't seem fair. His death seemed like a great loss......but instead, it was a great victory! Jesus said "it is finished". His death and resurrection saved us. It was the plan all along to reconcile all of creation back to our Heavenly Father!! 

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

Eternal Life. Heaven. The Glory of God. This is the only wonderful thing about death. We pass from this life into eternal life. A gift from God. Yes, on this side of Heaven death sucks. It's a messy process to go through physically, emotionally and spiritually. But when we make Jesus Christ the Lord of our lives and surrender our lives to Him.....we get to spend forever and ever with our Heavenly Father. My friend's precious son, is now in the arms of his Father, His Heavenly Father. There are no more tears, no more saddness, no more pain. One day, this mom will see her son again because they both made Christ their Lord. Do you know Him? Have you dealt with your eternity? The most important thing to think about today!

THANK YOU LORD, that even though we don't understand death on this side.....YOU DO!! Thank you that we can lean on you and you will carry us through the suffering. I lift up my dear sister in Christ......I pray that you will continue to hold her so close to you and use others to bring great comfort during this incredible time of loss. May everyone see your glory through this young man's life and death. May people come to know you and your salvation because of all this. Amen!!

Love you Lord! Love you Gina!! Love you Jerritt!!