Way back in 2007 Julius and I had heard from my friend Gail that she had bought her burial plot for a good price. It was a small cemetery on a pretty hillside in a small town a little north of where we live. The price was good alright!!
We laughed a lot about this, but knowing that some day we would need these - in his typical sense of humour, Julius would say that the stats on death are one is to one, we went ahead and bought ours. We laughed some more when we went up to the cemetery and discovered that it was filled with Anglo-Saxon names. The trustee looked a little surprised that his newest clients were South Asians and we laughed so hard when he said we were going to add much needed colour to the place!!
Happy, carefree days laughing with Julius as we walked through serious moments in our lives. He encouraged me to face life and the reality of death courageously - looking always through the lens of God's Word.
Six months ago we drove up the hill to bury my Dad. Julius was beside me to hold my hand, speak to the grave digger, pay the bills and take care of all the practical details. He was there to drive us back and as he openly grieved with us girls, he comforted us and once again pointed us to the Lord.
And here we were again making the trek up to the hillside cemetery on May 13th.
Not much to laugh about this time - no Julius to hold my hand.
It felt surreal - was I really staring at his coffin? My girls beside me, wrapped in their own deep grief.
Conscious of loving friends around me, Pastor Paul speaking words of comfort straight from God's Word to our hearts. I remember the sun breaking through on an otherwise cold spring day.
In a few minutes it was over...
Driving back home with dear friends, popped a song into my head -
We laughed a lot about this, but knowing that some day we would need these - in his typical sense of humour, Julius would say that the stats on death are one is to one, we went ahead and bought ours. We laughed some more when we went up to the cemetery and discovered that it was filled with Anglo-Saxon names. The trustee looked a little surprised that his newest clients were South Asians and we laughed so hard when he said we were going to add much needed colour to the place!!
Happy, carefree days laughing with Julius as we walked through serious moments in our lives. He encouraged me to face life and the reality of death courageously - looking always through the lens of God's Word.
Six months ago we drove up the hill to bury my Dad. Julius was beside me to hold my hand, speak to the grave digger, pay the bills and take care of all the practical details. He was there to drive us back and as he openly grieved with us girls, he comforted us and once again pointed us to the Lord.
And here we were again making the trek up to the hillside cemetery on May 13th.
Not much to laugh about this time - no Julius to hold my hand.
It felt surreal - was I really staring at his coffin? My girls beside me, wrapped in their own deep grief.
Conscious of loving friends around me, Pastor Paul speaking words of comfort straight from God's Word to our hearts. I remember the sun breaking through on an otherwise cold spring day.
In a few minutes it was over...
Driving back home with dear friends, popped a song into my head -
On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross
The emblem of suffering and shame...
I began to think of another hillside, where my Lord and Saviour died for me.
The emblem of suffering and shame...
I began to think of another hillside, where my Lord and Saviour died for me.
My Lord - fully human, fully God, chose to come to this earth and die so we would live.
What was The Father's pain as he allowed this to happen, as He watched, as He turned His face?
Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all...Romans 8:32
God was clearly speaking to me and I knew that He knew and He hurt for me.
The "God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction..." 2 Cor 1:3-4 is with me.
Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for Your Son Jesus and I praise you for the incredible plan of redemption that You put in place for me. I thank You that I can trust You because You are trustworthy and Your promises are true for eternity. Your Word comforts and consoles me as I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I am even now fearing no evil, because You are with me.
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