Goodnight

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27

A couple of nights ago, the following tragedy unfolded near San Antonio, Tx.

It’s my friend’s story. Her daughter-in-law’s, actually.

What if it was yours?

She was going to bed for the last time.

Waking in the night, they needed to escape.

Rising waters. Nighttime rescue.

Floating debris. Pitch black darkness.

Her husband holds onto a tree, trying to reach her.

He cannot and off she goes.

He hears her calling his name, but she is beyond reach.

She was swept off to heaven that night.

Not what she thought would transpire after saying goodnight.

A precious life lost. Her family left to grieve.

What about you? Would you have been ready to meet your Maker?

There’s often no time to ready your heart in the midst of a tragedy.

Unfortunately, tragedies do occur, often producing death.

And it can happen in an instant. The blink of an eye.

So, what if it was you? Are you ready?

We never know when God will call us home.

Ready your heart today. Now. Right this minute.

John 14:27 reminds us God give us His peace. His perfect peace.

God doesn’t want our hearts to be troubled, and death is nothing to fear.

Why? Because of Jesus. His great love for you. His precious plan for you.

But here’s the thing: Death is nothing to fear only if you place your hope in Jesus.

In the sacrifice of His life in exchange for yours.

Your sins are forgiven.

Your future is secure.

Only if you are His. Are you?

Nobody plans to say goodnight for the final time.

Make sure your heart is God’s when you say goodnight this evening.

Photos by rachman reilliKelly SikkemaLukas Hron, and Yevhenii Aihubov on Unsplash

It’s OK to be Sad

And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Luke 7:13

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Really?

Yep, it’s ok.

Sadness is an emotion.

Just like happiness or anger or irritation.

Jesus was sad.

He was grieved for his people.

Do you think He was filled with joy in the Garden of Gethsemane before He was betrayed?

Not at all.

His spirit was greatly troubled (Matthew 26:37).

Sadness, deep sorrow is a real emotion.

God made us and created all of our emotions.

They are for a purpose.

A reason.

When your life crumbles, you need to grieve.

Your heart needs to heal, and that takes time.

How much time depends upon you and your needs.

Major life upheavals require a season of grief.

A winter of sorts where you rest.

If you choose to rest in the arms of Jesus, your recovery may be shorter.

A person can also become a bit sad for little reasons.

You might have an expected bill.

Your child doesn’t give you a hug before bed.

Gasp, your children ate the last of your favorite ice cream.

These are moments.

They pass almost as quickly as they come.

Dwelling on these little moments of sadness never really enters your mind.

The bigger moments, however, dig into your core and sadness can easily overtake you.

It can become your focus when a loved one dies, during a divorce, a job that evaporates, or an intense godly desire that never seems to materialize.

It’s in those moments that you have a choice to make…

Dwell on sorrow or experience the real emotion for a time, and purpose to move on.

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You must grieve.

It’s an honest emotion.

It’s healthy.

But only for a season.

Don’t allow your mind to become stuck.

Resist the temptation to keep hitting the replay button for months and years.

You will take away years and the grief will become an idol.

Your identity will be wrapped up in grief.

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Allow yourself a season of rest.

Of sadness.

Grieve.

Please.

But during that time, place your burdens and sorrow into the arms of Jesus.

He will fill your void, dry your tears, and give you little bursts of hope.

And when your season is over, a new day will dawn and your joy will return.

Just ask Him to help.

And I promise He will.

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Photo by Noah Silliman on Unsplash