Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Denver

I am flying to Denver tomorrow to see my brother Stephen and his family.  I have been wanting to visit them for some time now.  I was hoping that I could take Stacie and her kids with me when I went.  Maybe next time.  For now it will just have to be me. 

I wish I were going under better circumstances.  Stephen's wife, Kate is very ill.  She has ALS.  It is a very cruel disease.  Kate is slowly becoming trapped in her own body.  So many people have been praying for her healing.  The last time she and I talked about it she said that she knows she will be healed.  It may be that she will be healed while she is still on this earth but if not, she knows that when she gets to heaven she will have a perfect body.

And that she will.  No more pain and suffering when God decides to call her home. 

I love you, my dear sister Kate! I will see you tomorrow!

2 Corinthians 4:16 - 5:5 (The Message)

So we're not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There's far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever. 

 For instance, we know that when these bodies of ours are taken down like tents and folded away, they will be replaced by resurrection bodies in heaven—God-made, not handmade—and we'll never have to relocate our "tents" again. Sometimes we can hardly wait to move—and so we cry out in frustration. Compared to what's coming, living conditions around here seem like a stopover in an unfurnished shack, and we're tired of it! We've been given a glimpse of the real thing, our true home, our resurrection bodies! The Spirit of God whets our appetite by giving us a taste of what's ahead. He puts a little of heaven in our hearts so that we'll never settle for less.

1 comment:

  1. Donna - what a wonderful post, and I love that passage from The Message. I pray that Kate will experience a miracle healing if that is Gods will, but rejoice with you in knowing that one day she will have a new perfect body. My sister suffers from MS, and it is also a terrible, body destroying disease. Sometimes too heart breaking to accept, and leaves us wondering "why". But what a beacon of faith you surely are to those around you. Have a safe trip and a great visit.

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