Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. ” John 14: 1-2
As believers in Christ we are looking forward to someday leaving this earth and going to be with our Lord and Savior. The Bible clearly states that those who have placed their eternal trust in Him are going to be with Him ~ physically present with Him~ for eternity. And that when we leave this earth our spirits will go to Him, in the twinkling of an eye. As Jesus said to the repentant thief on the cross, “Today you’ll be with me in Paradise.” Luke 23:43
That is a rock solid, undeniable fact presented in the Word of God and secured through the Holy Spirit, because we’ve placed our trust in Christ. As believers, we need not fear our future; we can anticipate a glorious eternity worshiping the One who paid the ultimate price to save us.
My cousin suddenly went home to be with the Lord last week. It was a sad and unexpected death, from a raging attack of pneumonia. She was ready, because she knew Christ as her personal Savior and was secure in her faith.
For me, it was a shocking and sad moment, in spite of knowing she had gone to the Lord. I realized just how much I was losing ~ and had lost ~ over the years. She was someone I knew and loved even before her birth. Someone I toted around as a baby. I watched her grow up. The problem with losing a younger cousin is simply this: in your mind, she never really grew up. You still remember her as a delicate little girl with fluffy hair, slender form, and beautiful hands….A confident little kid who was clearly witty and wise beyond her years. Someone who could light up a room and light up your life by sharing a secret smile. A precocious little girl who loved laughter and dolls and Doritos and cats….and who had simply never quite grown up in your heart and mind.
Funny, but you just never felt you knew her as an adult the way you knew her as a child, a young girl. Even though you saw her from time to time, your most cherished memories were of her as a little girl. The years had slipped away…And then she was suddenly gone, leaving a void that you never expected. An emptiness. You just thought she’d always be there, that little girl-now-woman, wife and mother. And she’d be around for your funeral ~ ’cause you’d have left this earth long before her time came. That was just the way it was supposed to be.
But God had other plans, and tragically she was too soon gone.
And even though she and I have been separated by the miles and by life circumstances, I’m going to be missing that little girl. Her warmth and unique way of always putting you at ease. Her wisdom. Her spunky, biting wit. Her kind and generous soul. Her inner beauty.
She will live on in my heart and in the hearts of many, and one day when I leave this earth I’ll see her again. And I know she’s gonna be just as I remember her: young, beautiful, happy, more alive than ever. I can’t wait for that day. And all our family will hug and kiss and love on each other for eternity, as we rejoice together in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And that reunion will last forever….
I’m planning on sitting down to have a long chat with her then. It’ll be as though we were never separated. How grateful I am for our future in Christ! And that there are no goodbyes in heaven. No goodbyes. No tears. Only joy!
Can you please tell me where you got this picture? I love it and reminds me of my daughter I lost on March 15, 2014.
Chase, I found it on the internet and downloaded it. I’m so sorry about your daughter. God bless you and your family ~