“….God my Maker, who gives songs in the night.” Job 35:10
“The strength of a ship is only fully demonstrated when it faces a hurricane, and the power of the gospel can only be fully exhibited when a Christian is subjected to some fiery trial. We must understand that for God to give ‘songs in the night,’ He must first make it night.” Nathaniel William Taylor
In December 2020, my grandson Taylor, only 26 years old, went to be with the Lord. It has been a sad time for our family as we remembered with affection his growing up years and how much he meant to all of us. We have all grieved, but for my daughter Karin, his mother, the first year has been exceptionally hard. The Lord wants us to know that a person’s death is not the end. It’s the beginning of a new life in heaven with God! My daughter wrote this and she gave me permission to pass it on.
“It’s the 6th of the month, and it’s 6 months today since Taylor went home to be with Jesus. We made it 6 months.
We only made it because Jesus is walking with us…sometimes carrying us through the valley of the shadow of death. Some days are overwhelmingly sad and other days seem almost normal. This entire week I was crying over the slightest reminder of Taylor but today, the 6th month anniversary, I have been dry eyed. Grief never makes sense and is completely unpredictable. What IS predictable is the promise that God will always be with us. He comforts my heart in so many ways that I cannot even list them all here. One night this week after a really hard day, the evening sky was painted a spectacular pink. Pink streaks always remind me of Taylor. I could almost hear Taylor saying, ‘Mom…look at the sky! God let me help paint it for you!’
A few days ago, daughter Chloe and I were in the car and she noticed sunbeams in the sky. They were beside and behind me and since I was driving, I just aimed by phone in the general direction and took a picture. I was amazed when I got home and looked at it! Next to the sunbeams was a telephone pole that looked like a cross!
“May the God of HOPE fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with HOPE by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13. The HOPE that the cross offers has been a strong comfort this year. Only Jesus could take a cross, the symbol of His death, and turn it into a symbol of HOPE. Because He gave His life for us, we can have a future with Him in heaven. All we have to do is admit we are sinners and accept His gift of salvation. Taylor made that decision so we know we will be reunited someday. Please don’t turn away from God’s gift to you! He gave His Son so we can have eternal life. “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.” John 10:28.
Peace and pain, joy and sorrow CAN coexist! In a world filled with suffering, God wants us to learn to experience peace in the midst of difficult situations. He can fill us with joy and peace as we trust in Him. All the painful paths we go down, God is giving us tools to work with. We can either leave them on the path or we can pick them up and carry them with us. As we carry them, we can pass them to other people and help them along the way. That way, God gets ALL the glory!
Your friend, Jean