Breathe Through It & Tell Them All

“Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”  - Joshua 24:14-15

Did you breathe? When the news caught up to you that your loved one was gone, did you breathe; or was the sheer emotional trauma such that you were left in stunning disbelief?

Death of a loved one is something that cannot be prepared for. Even in the circumstances when we know it is coming the event of one's last breath is in most cases overwhelming. There is no way to prepare the heart or the brain for the absence of one's presence, and when it happens, nothing can stop the memories from showering through the veil of deterministic hardness.

My friend, Terry, lost his father this week and I ask for your prayers and condolences to be upon him and his family as they celebrate the life that was and the eternity that lies before; while still suffering with the mourning and loss of their beloved.

In this though, I also ask that each of you take record of those around you. Your parents, grand-parents, siblings, spouse, children, grand-children, friends and extended family. Every one of them will die, and though it is not a pleasant or joyous thought it is a reality. You, through your relationship with them, have some responsibility for what happens the moment they take their last breath.

If you have done nothing to understand their faith in an eternity with God, the Father; than do not jump to the conclusion that it is indeed secure and sealed. Take the step of sharing the salvation story with each of them. If you don't, are you certain that someone else will? If you are challenged by having this dialogue with the most precious people in your life, how deep is your love for them. If you have shared and they have chosen otherwise, then your prayer closet should be filled with their picture and your prayer life overloaded with their name upon your lips. Each must choose for themselves whom they will serve, but it is upon your shoulders to at least share your belief, so they have an understanding.

Don't claim to love them, and not be concerned about their eternal rest. For they will see death one day, and that day is not within your control. So, I suggest you be busy about his business, as if it were the most important thing to do with your day.

Peace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, be upon you and your family Terry - I love you brother.

Be a Blessing

Read It, Learn It, Live It, Share It

“It is a sin to despise one’s neighbor, but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy.” – Proverbs 14:21

Are the days getting longer or have the activities become monotonous?
Does the wind still blow in the chill of the night or is this cardboard stronger this year?
Where does one find the wood to start a barrel fire when the winter is upon us?
Might one find a merciful soul to share a cup of coffee for less than a pence to warm ones heart?

Are you blessed, or are you worrying about your next meal?
Are you blessed, or are you searching for shelter today?
Are you blessed, or are you using duct tape to hold your shoes together?
Are you blessed, or does the entirety of your possessions fit in a shopping cart? 

The average low temperature in Cleveland, Ohio in the month of December is 24 degrees Fahrenheit, and the sun only shines for an average of 2 hours a day.  The December average low temperature in London, UK is 37 degrees F with only 1 hour of sun a day. In Beijing, China it’s 20 degrees F with 6 hours of sun.  Why should you care?  A study from the Urban Institute estimated that over 3.5 million people a year would experience homelessness in America.  That estimate is over 1% of America’s population, if that is true in the UK and in China as well, just imagine the numbers: 1% of UK = 630,000; 1% of China = 13 million.  I believe these estimates to be conservative, because there is no official way to count the homeless that aren’t using some form of shelter or food bank resource.

If you are reading this, you are incredibly blessed.  We are called to love our brother, and to care for those who are hurting.  As we approach winter in the Northern Hemisphere, I plead with you to do something about the homeless in your metropolitan area.  Carry blankets in your car and don’t be ashamed to give them out when you find someone in need.  Go to a local thrift store and buy some coats, shoes, hats and gloves, adult and children size; and carry them in your car in case you find someone who needs one.  Give of yourself this year at a local shelter, food pantry or soup kitchen.  Live as if you truly loved your fellow man and felt some responsibility to help them, not out of guilt, but out of compassion and because we are living out God’s will on earth.

Please take the time to forward this on to others that might also be able to help those in need.
             

© Sondove Enterprises, 2012
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