Yesterday I spoke about the postcards we used to send our family and friends when we went on holiday, and how many times they would tell them “wish you were here”.
There are of course other times when we say “wish you were here”, and sadly at those times, that wish will never come true. When someone we love dies, it is of course a very emotional and difficult time, and so we may find ourselves saying we wish they were still here with us.
While we may wish those we love and care about will be with us forever, in reality it isn’t going to happen, because the only certain thing about life is that we will all die at some point. I don’t mean to make this a really morbid post, so I simply want to remind you that even through the hurt and heartache of losing someone we love, we must hold onto the precious moments we have spent with them. It won’t take away our heartache, but it will help you remember them just the way you loved them.
So yes, we wish our loved ones were still here with us, but if we keep focused on our memories, when we close our eyes, they will almost be here with us again.
Some things in our lives can’t be predicted: exactly when we’ll be born, or exactly when we’ll die. Even what happens to us in between those two life events isn’t really predictable as it’s only as we grow and learn that our personality is shaped, and we make choice that then start to define where and what our future will hold.
I must when I’m starting something, I like to know what the possible outcomes are, as I’m not very comfortable with uncertainty. Which is odd isn’t it because the whole of life is filled with uncertainty!
Maybe it’s because for me, the uncertainty about life and what lies ahead seems different from the uncertainty about taking on a task, because I know my future is already known to God, and so my future is already planned. Therefore no matter what lies ahead, I know God is already prepared for it, and is ready to help and guide me through whatever storms I may face.
Life may not be predictable, but God’s presence and His love for us is!
Everyone has to die once, then face the consequences. Christ’s death was also a one-time event, but it was a sacrifice that took care of sins forever. And so, when he next appears, the outcome for those eager to greet him is, precisely, salvation. ~ Hebrews 9:28 (The message)
Are you ready to greet Jesus when he next appears on earth?
Are you ready to receive salvation – deliverance from sin and its consequences? If you have faith in Christ, you are well prepared for Christ’s second coming.
If I were to ask you what one thing represents hope to you, what would you say?
For me it comes back to the cross, and more specifically, the empty cross – Because of Jesus we have hope for a brighter tomorrow where our sins have been washed away and we all believe that God loves each one of us.
When you’re alone with someone, whether you know them or not, how does it feel if there are a few minutes of complete silence when neither of you say a word?
Time is one of those strange things that although every second passes the same for each of us, one person may feel time has stood still another may feel as if it’s going by extra quickly.
Here’s a quote a came across from Henry Van Dyke which illustrates this:
Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity.
In Ecclesiastes 3:11 we read:
Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.
I’m sure we’ve all heard people say things such as:
You’ll be my friend forever
I’ll be eternally grateful if you could…
I’ll remember what you’ve done forever
I’ll always be there for you
I’m sure when those words are said, the person saying them has meant them. In reality though we are all human, after a period of time we often do not remember those statements that we said we’d keep forever and therefore we break them.
I’m sure we’ve also all had someone say to us that they know exactly how we feel, when we’re going though a tough time. But is it really possible for another person to truly know exactly how we feel?! I don’t know what your circumstances are at present, but here’s some words someone once said to me when I was going through a difficult time – “If you’re going through a tough or difficult time, don’t stop, just keep going“.
Tough times are temporary so no matter how difficult we may be finding life, we must always keep going. Remember, God put us on this earth for a reason, he planned out our life before we were born. And he knows what or how we’re feeling or thinking even before we know ourselves.
Sometimes it takes a brush with eternity – a crash, an illness, some shock to the system – to get you really thinking about what you want to do with your limited time here, and why you’re living on this wobbling dirt cloud in the first place. ~ Hampton Sides
Our time on this earth may be limited, but we god has planned our life out for us, we just need to follow his direction and he will stay by our side both in this life and for eternity.
2 Timothy 1:9
For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time–to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.
While we can’t always rely on others keeping promises to be there for us, or remember us forever, however God will. God’s love for us will stand the test of time and His love will last for time and eternity, all we need to do is trust Him.
I hope you enjoy listening to Bellshill Salvation Army band featuring Alex Ramsay on cornet and Chris Shanks on euphonium, playing Time and Eternity:
When we all get to heaven What a day of rejoicing that will be When we all see Jesus We’ll sing and shout the victory
One day we will see face to face, Jesus Is there a greater vision of grace And in a moment, we shall be changed On that day
One day we will all get to heaven. When that day will arrive for each of us, only God knows.
I don’t mean to be morbid but, are you ready for that day?
We should not be afraid of death, as when we die we’ll get to meet Jesus face to face – Won’t that be wonderful?
Our time on earth is short, so make the most of every day, but also make sure you’re ready to meet Jesus face to face.
We will weep no more No more tears, no more shame No more struggle, no more Walking through the valley of the shadow No cancer, no depression Just the brightness of Your glory Just the wonder of Your grace Everything as it was meant to be All of this will change When we see You face to face Jesus, face to face
Words many of us will have said at some time – Maybe in relation to
family members who have passed away
teachers who told you you’d never achieve anything with your life
friends or colleagues that always put you down, believing they were better than you
friends you no longer keep in touch with
For me, I don’t really care about those from my past life who never believed I’d achieve anything with my life. I do however care that I make my Mum and Dad proud – I wish they were still here with me, but they’re not, so to me the best I can do is make them proud of me.
Just a few weeks ago as I was the cemetery after leaving flowers on a family grave, the song If you Could See Me Now by the Script was playing in the car. I think about my Mum and Dad every day as I miss them so very much, but since the day that song came on in the car, I’ve found myself thinking, if they could see me now…
If You Could See Me Now by The Script
It was February 14, Valentine’s Day The roses came but they took you away Tattooed on my arm is a charm to disarm all the harm Gotta keep myself calm but the truth is you’re gone
And I’ll never get to show you these songs Dad, you should see the tours that I’m on I see you standing there next to Mom Both singing along, yeah on and on
And there are days when I’m losing my faith Because the man wasn’t good, he was great He’d say “Music was the home for your pain” And explained I was young, he would say
Take that rage, put it on a page Take that page to the stage Blow the roof off the place I’m trying to make you proud Do everything you did I hope you’re up there with God saying “That’s my kid!”
I still look for your face in the crowd Oh if you could see me now (Oh if you could see me now) Would you stand in disgrace or take a bow? Oh if you could see me now (Oh if you could see me now)
Walking by faith means you have the courage to stand up for everyone – the hurting, the broken, and the down-trodden – to face death yourself for the good of others.
If you agree to do this you’ll need to be willing to get out of your comfort zone. You must be willing to let God take your world and turn it upside down, and start all over again. You must be willing to let God change how you see Him, and change how you life by letting Him use you the way that He sees fit.
Maybe God will ask you to do something you never dreamed you would ever do like foster or adopt children, leave your job and become a church minister, trade in all your worldly goods for God’s service…
Maybe God will challenge you. For example, how would you respond when life throws some devastating events at you – divorce, addiction, death of a child or sibling – all events that hurt like nothing else.
I don’t know how God may want to use you, but I do know that if you give your all to God, and allow Him to change your life, He will honour your request. He will take you on a journey, your journey by teaching you to walk by faith, and trust you with some of life’s most treasured moments with Him by your side.
Have you ever stopped to think about all the stages we go through in life?
Some stages I guess we know nothing about; others we won’t remember anything about; while others still will define who we become as adults, and ultimately the person others remember when we die.
Make the most of your informative years, as they will define the person you grow old as.
