Earth's Sunsets Become Heaven's Sunrises!

On a few rare occasions a sudden event can intrude like a thick heavy blanket over a once brilliant, sunny day.

And the LORD whispered to me..."Come near my child, this is for his good and the welfare of your family." My heart is both faint and weary, I am not necessarily seeking relief from the pain, I just want the nearness of My God as I wait for His instructions. I want to run, run, run, wail and cry because I am in a world of lostness yet deep down I know that this darkness, too, must pass as night follows the day.

My mind flashes back to a movie I watched years before, "A Beautiful Mind." Do you remember John Nash? He battled Schizophrenia ALL of his life, yet won the Noble Peace Prize for being such a gifted mathematician. He had a brilliant mind...formulas and equations were like a stroll through a lovely meadow...simple and without effort!

The wonder of our God - that he makes such Beautiful, BRILLIANT minds.

And then I ponder Jesus, the Christ who spoke life into existence - Not only a BRILLIANT mind but a Sovereign, Omnipotent King with a GREAT and AWESOME plan for each one of our lives!

When we encounter THE LIVING GOD, there is no telling what He will do with our lives, when we surrender to His plan!

As Larry Crabb wrote in one of his many books,

"Earth's sunsets become heaven's sunrises!"

From a woman and mother who has experienced pain - meeting God and growing spiritually has NOT always been pleasant. I find my most painful times (growth spurts if you will) sometimes occur when life is NOT going smoothly but when life is ACTUALLY just plain painful - in flux!

If I could have changed what happened 3 years ago, I sometimes think I would have but I realize that me and my family have grown and learned so much from the loss of our precious Johnny and I KNOW that my Johnny is now Joyful and singing at THE THRONE and no longer tortured in mind.

What parent wants to see their child go to heaven, when their life has only just begun?
I just wanted to make it better, to straighten out what was such a mess and seemed so TERRIBLY wrong (every mother just wants to make "it" better, when one of her children is hurting or in pain), but this time mom couldn't make it better.

I had to press into God and trust that He is Sovereign in ALL our affairs and that His plan is ultimately much better than any foolish idea I had to try to make this Horrible situation right. For God is ultimately in full control of our lives and His plan unfolds gracefully as we surrender.

"For now we are looking in a mirror that gives only a dim(blurred) reflection [of reality as in a riddle or enigma], but then [when perfection comes] we shall see in reality and face to face!
Now I know in part (imperfectly), but then I shall know and understand fully and clearly, even in the same manner as I have been fully and clearly known and understood [by God]."

1 Corinthians 13:12