comfort

We attended a wake yesterday for a friend who was my own age.

As we exited the funeral home, I needed to walk a little bit. #1 Son was with me and he is always game for any spontaneous suggestion, and so together we cased the neighborhood.

I came to a halt here, where I breathed deep grateful breaths. I am so grateful to be alive to take in such colors and such perfection!

The quiet beauty of these flowers brought me comfort. All morning I had been thinking about a wonderful scripture passage that always comforts me:

13Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18Therefore encourage each other with these words.

(1 Thessalonians 4:18 NIV)

Now our friend is "asleep". She awaits the final day; that famous day when the dead in Christ shall rise to meet His coming in the clouds. I believe in this day more than anything.

The New Testament recognizes death surely, but in a larger sense we need to understand that Christ has won for us the final victory over death.

Oh glorious day!