Death: No Fear

When I exit life on earth I know I will not have ceased to exist. I will still be alive when my physical body has given up and is buried because everyone who has ever walked this earth including myself have "eternal life". So the question becomes where will each of us spend this eternal life of ours? There is a confidence in a person who quietly trusts in the Lord for their salvation. They don't fear death because death doesn't exist for them. Jesus conquered death, hell, and the grave when he became sin for us. This sinless God/man, Christ Jesus, who endured the pain, anguish and separation from his heavenly father paid the high price to keep those of us who believe in him from having to taste "death".

• Hebrews 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

Dear friends, please take God's words to the bank, this is truth. When the devil attempts to torment you by doubting God's word with regards to fear of death you should rebuke those fears and doubts and cast them aside at once.

We are all souls and spirits kept (stored) in these physical bodies which deteriorate over time. Given time and circumstances, these bodies of ours break down and give up on us. And what do they "give up" when they stop working? they give up spirit and mind. We are told in the bible that as God's children, we are going to be given new heavenly (spiritual) bodies someday:
1 Corinthians 15:

• 42 Thus also the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruptibility.
• 43 It is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.
• 44 It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body: if there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual one.
• 45 Thus also it is written, The first man Adam became a living soul; the last Adam a quickening spirit.
• 46 But that which is spiritual was not first, but that which is natural, then that which is spiritual: 47 the first man out of the earth, made of dust; the second man, out of heaven.
• 48 Such as he made of dust, such also those made of dust; and such as the heavenly, such also the heavenly ones.
• 49 And as we have borne the image of the one made of dust, we shall bear also the image of the heavenly one.

These new spiritual bodies won't break down on us such as our physical bodies do which we presently have. The pain we have to endure in these present bodies will never trouble us again once we have been given our heavenly bodies from God. Funerals are sad for us. We miss our loved ones who have walked this earth with us. But just know this: You will walk again with your loved one who has passed from this earth. You will get that chance to walk with them and the next time, you will be walking on streets of gold.

Letting Go: Never Painless but Always Beneficial

Letting go of past hurts is never easy, especially at the time they're done to us and immediately afterward. In some cases it takes years to let go depending on the pain or betrayal we've experienced. I have found out that after a good bit of time passes, I am better able to get over these hurts and get back on with living life. The truth is, letting the harsh treatment we get from others rule over us holds us back in so many ways. We cannot focus on living life to its fullest because our minds are constantly going over what was done to us, how unfair it was, and questioning whether justice will ever be done regarding those who have hurt us so badly. These tests and trials, just as various other ones in life, can make us better or bitter. They show us how strong we are and/or how weak we are. They testify to what we are made of and if we find that we don't handle them as we should, (which all of us can attest to at one time or another) at least we can say that we have learned from the experience. This is good because the next time we are faced with a similar situation we will have additional wisdom
which will help us through.
God never intended us to muddle through life, carrying a grudge against those who have wronged us.
Our pain is real, it's true that we have been deeply hurt, we have been done wrong, but our lives were never meant to be spent allowing our entire thoughts and actions revolve around things like these. There are people to love, places to see, and life to live and we cannot be doing these if we are wrapped up and bogged down in past hurts.

Here's help:

• Acknowledge the pain and hurt you have
• Pray about it and give it to God to handle, I assure you he is able to do this while you will never be.
• Then just "Let it be" as the song says. Rest in the fact that in God's time, these wrongs will be made right. The injustice in time will seem less of an injustice to us.

I know from experience that in addition to the above actions, it will take time to heal these past hurts. Know that you cannot enjoy your life while being consumed and obsessed by those who have wronged you. I pray that none of us be overtaken by past hurts because being ruled by them has the uncanny ability to turn us into very angry people and that's never beneficial. The only thing that anger can do is totally handicap us for as long as it holds us in its grasp.

Allowing the Tests

I got a phone call recently from a family member who has struggled with drug addiction all of her life. She was back in the hospital due to her body breaking down from years of drug use. Every talk I had with her in the past, all the begging, pleading, angry feelings and sadness I had in the previous years fled away as I listened to the fear in her voice. My fear at this point is that once again she will check herself out of hospital against medical advice. Those we love who are held in the grip of drug addiction tear at out heartstrings and take us for a very sad ride. I have and will again do everything I can for her. I've never abandoned her and I won't now. I am planning to visit but I am NOT planning on giving her a stern talking to on the subject of how the drugs are destroying her. I have done all of this before. A few years ago I finally got to the place where I got out of God's way and stopped enabling her. In order for an addict to get clean (or not) it is their choice and the first thing we must do is step aside. Let them fall without us there begging, yelling, freaking out, and at our wit's end. I admit it is scary to let them go. It's scary to trust in God and get our hands and heart out of the equation. When I say our "hearts" out of the equation I don't mean we stop loving them, I only mean that we MUST have distance at this time for their sakes to allow them to fall without reaching out to stop or ease that plunge they are sooner or later bound to take. I am very afraid of losing her. I don't want her to die. I see it as such a waste if it takes her life in order for her to chase her next high. But here's what God has said to me regarding that:
God told me that we all must ALLOW THE TESTS in the lives of those we love. He has given all of us FREE WILL and whatever comes of this will be of her own doing and by her own hand. There, I said it. Simple huh? No, not quite. All my life I have wanted to have some control over helping those I love in order for them to be ok. This is a control issue that I am dealing with and am much better than I used to be. So here's what I've decided... I will allow my loved one's test. I will love her and be there for her. I will not preach at her or scold her. If I did, it would only be repeating what she ALREADY knows and has heard from me many times before. Please keep this loved one of mine in your prayers, she is very special to me.

On the True Meaning of Family

I always thought of the word "family" as etched in stone. The old saying, "blood is thicker than water" I had heard many times and I believed it was true. It wasn't until later in life that I started to question this.
Sometimes, our family members can hurt us beyond belief and it can often seem as though strangers are more apt to be kind and loving toward us than our own flesh and blood. The words of Jesus come to mind, "A man's enemies will be those of his own household". Why should this be? Remember the story of Cane and Abel? With these brothers, jealousy led to outright murder. In a productive and fruitful family unit there must be love, compassion, and a mutual respect for one another.
A true family is not one in which the members will only come to you when they need something from you. This would be called a dysfunctional family. What about the story of Joseph and his brothers? You know.... the brothers who sold him into slavery because they envied him; his coat of many colors; and his dreams?
Just because you have a brother or sister doesn't mean they are necessarily looking out for your best interests. A friend that you meet along the path of life can bond with you and love you more than a blood relative ever could. When you are raised in a dysfunctional family it seems that every member is out for themselves. This is sad and if you happen to be going through the heartache this brings, just know that you are not alone. I know how painful this can be. I have had to sever ties with toxic family members. Was I right to go no contact with them? I'm not sure, but I only know that the alternative was killing me spiritually, emotionally, and physically. When you are in a catch 22, what can you do?
Toxic people leave us little choice. In this life, we will have to deal with those who for numerous reasons are just too lethal to mess with. It is then that you will have to make decisions based upon what you are able to endure. Don't feel guilty for severing ties with those who suck the life out of you and only use you for their own gain...even if they are family members.