...other meditations

God timing

there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under Heaven… ecclesiastes 3:1

it's been just over a week since my grammy, gladys fehr, passed away. losing a loved one is always difficult, yet her passing over the christmas holiday seemed to amplify the pain. with such an unexpected shock, our family tried to muster up enough strength and courage to keep it all together. the questions and feelings of disbelief rushed in like a tidal wave as we frantically tried to make sense of it all. our grief took over and questions like “why her?” or “why now?” exited our lips only to reach God's ears. in our moment of despair God was there.

the death of a loved one can cause a roller coaster ride of emotions. it can disrupt the family dynamics on many different levels. and, as in every situation, the timing of such a tragedy may seem terribly wrong. however, God's timing is always right. in fact, it's perfect! having trust and the knowledge that He is in control of all circumstances is critical to our healing process. i read a quote on my mother's calendar the other day and it states:

God's way is always right.  it doesn't always make sense--in fact, it is often mysterious.  it can seldom be explained.  it isn't always pleasurable and fun.  but i have lived long enough to realize that His way is always right.
chuck swindoll

we, as human beings, are to remember to live our lives day by day solely from the hand of God. we must believe that the one true God, our Father in Heaven, is our Sustainer. our strongest desire should be for Him and for His purposes; He should be our reason to love, to laugh, to live… by doing this, we are more prepared to face the unhappy circumstances that come our way. our Lord will be our Strength even when we're weak. our Lord God will be our Portion even when something or someone is missing from our lives. below, is an encouraging scripture passage that i received in a sympathy card:

whom have i in Heaven but You? and earth has nothing i desire besides You. my flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. psalm 73:25, 26

our Rock and our Refuge was very near to us. we actually found moments of rejoicing during our time of loss. the prayers and thoughts that our friends and loved ones lifted up were heard by God and felt by us. we will all continue to grieve in different ways and for varied periods of time. the sadness will come and go as will the fond remembrances. still, we do not have to fear or know all of the answers to our questions. we only need to continue to trust Him throughout all of our circumstances.

with heartfelt sympathy
for anyone who has experienced loss,

tamara