Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
This morning I was reminded that life is short & we live in a broken world. I hate reminders of this reality. Sometimes I wish to live in an ignorance shielded from this knowledge, yet at the same time I am thankful for moments that remind me of this truth.
A young man died today. I never knew this young man personally, but I know his sister (who fyi writes beautifully about this journey HERE). And because of technology (& his sister and mother's gift in writing), I know of his story, his battle with cancer. I make no pretense to grieve as his close friends and family mourn. Yet today, as I woke up and heard the news, my heart ached for this family. My heart ached for a sister who lost a brother the week of her wedding. My heart ached for a mother lost her son. I grieved their loss, as the Christian family is called to do with one another.
Romans 12:15
Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
It's actually one of my favorite things about the body of Christ, we rejoice with those who rejoice, & we weep with those who weep. On the surface it seems like a silly thing, but in reality, the depth of this tiny action blows my mind. Community, carrying each others burdens, celebrating triumphs, LOVING each other so deeply that we FEEL each others joys and pains. It is really a beautiful picture (even in a moment of tragedy) of how the church family comes together to be united in Christ. For in these moments of togetherness, we point each other to truths when we are unable to see them on our own. We are encouraged by the good news, the Gospel, that we have in Christ.
So today, as I fed my little girls and heard of the news, I wept. I wept because a family in our church is feeling excruciating pain caused by the brokenness of our world. Truly, my flesh would rather not believe that this world is broken. But it is. And that is tragic, but Praise God we have a hope. We know that in all things He is faithful. He has, through his blood, reconciled all of this broken mess of a world. And we will see our Messiah again, when he comes in all of His glory to make all things new.
Colossians 1:19-20:
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through Him [Jesus] to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
I leave you with an old hymn that I sang to my girls this morning as I held onto them a little bit longer than I usually do before nap time. May you be encouraged by the truths in this old song.
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mAFHiuJqsY&w=640&h=480]
Much love,
