Seems as if I have been faced a lot with death the past two weeks. Although, my heart would like to be sad, I can't help but to rejoice. When our loved ones pass on, we tend to have an overwhelming sense of sadness overcome us but when we really think about it, it's hard not to rejoice. My Great Uncle Luis passed away last night and where it saddens my heart to know the world lost an amazing man, I know he is in peace now. He isn't in pain and his life is celebrated. It was a blessing to be able to see him twice in one year. With me living so far away from home, I tend to go months or even years with out seeing a family member. The thought of that just breaks my heart.
Death tends to make us think about life and thinking about life tends to make us think about our past, present, and future. We think about the past, dissecting our every past decision. Thinking about choices that could have been different. Some people hang on to their regrets and refuse to move on from a dark past. We all have something in our past we would like to press restart on but we can't do that.
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9
This verse brings me hope. Hope that with every mistake I have ever made, I have made a million great choices and those smart choices will be rewarded one day. I have lived a life of growth and have made choices that have led me to who and where I am today. Some choices I made in blind faith and those were the best choices I ever made. I made choices to better my life and better my circumstances and to better my relationship with God. Those are choices that will one day reap an amazing harvest for me. Sometimes I feel the load heavy on my back and I wonder "when will I see this harvest" but then I remember, God's timing is impeccable. "Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield." Psalm 33:20
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28
That verse always gives me hope for my present. This is a reminder that all good things and bad things will all work out for His purpose. He is always working behind the scenes. He loves us so much that He wraps His loving arms around all we do for the better purpose; even our mistakes and failures. This verse reminds me that He didn't say all things ARE good but that it works FOR good. My present is in His protection through good and bad. He is my provider of all.
"Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." Psalm 119:105
That verse gives me hope for the future. As long as I continue to take His lead and have faith in His ultimate plan for my life, then I cannot fear the future. I am reminded to take it one day at a time, to not get ahead of myself for His lamp will light my path. He will guide me and love on me the whole way through. People may come and go, bad circumstances may find their way in my life, loved ones pass on, and new friendships are formed and old ones are dissolved but I know that through it all, God will be right next to me. He's my Father and my Best Friend who loves me no matter what. He rejoices with me when accomplishments happen and He mourns with me when failure comes my way and most importantly He guides me. Sometimes I don't listen and other times, I take a giant leap into something I have to go in with blind faith......either way, He's got me.
The past can bring some of us resentment and regret, the present can bring some of us discouragement, and the future can bring some of us fear. All of these are lies created by the enemy. I encourage anybody who is reading this to please grab God's Hand and come out of the self pity you have created for yourself. Hold on to Him for dear life and know that God is good all of the time! Allow Him to come and bring healing from the past, restoration for the present, and faith for the future. Allow Him to make all in your life pure white and righteous. Yes, YOU can be righteous and you are in His eyes if you accept Him.
When we begin to grasp on just even a little bit to Him, we can understand the depth of His love, mercy, and grace and then we can view ourselves as He views us. He views us with a love like no other and He cheers us on like no other! Death can be scary if somebody hasn't accepted Him. It can be a hard core revelation that might be too late when we face that time. I pray that anybody who is reading this will come to Him with an open heart and accept His open arms! That's what He wants so badly, for us to come to Him with a childlike faith!
Life is too short to live in regret, to live in resentment, or to live in fear. Life is too short to not love the ones around us who play big roles in our lives. Life is too short to not pray for and get to know the ones who do not yet play big roles in our lives. Life is too short to wonder or to think "what if". People are so important and we shouldn't wait until it is too late to let them know. Within a blink of an eye, somebody can leave your world and then your left wondering if you told them all you needed to.
I am so blessed with being able to give my Tio Luis a big hug on Thanksgiving and tell Him how much I loved Him! I cherish those moments. I cherish seeing him run around at my Great Aunt's Golden Jubilee as if he was a little boy again. He was so active and sassy. He blessed my life with just smiling at me. He loved my sister and me so much and I know that he knew we loved him too. It was heartbreaking to see him go from running around like a fast and furious car to just five months later suffering and in physical pain. It was heartbreaking but I knew he had lived a long and happy life. I am just so thankful that he is no longer in pain and is now running around on the streets of gold like that amazing little old man he was. Hopefully he's caught up with my cousin Rachel and has let her pinch his strawberry nose for my sister and me =)!
RIP Tio Luis! LOVE YOU SO MUCH!
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