Yesterday afternoon, our church family said farewell to a dear and loved member of the congregation.  The loss of a loved one is always difficult, as is the complex emotions that accompany such an agonizing event.

{warning: I’m about to get all Christiany – don’t say I didn’t warn you}
As Christians, we look at this time as a bittersweet event.  We trust that our dear friend is, right this moment, enjoying life in a way that is truly unimaginable.  She is having experiences at home with her Creator that our earthly minds simply cannot comprehend.  And so, in many ways, this is a very sweet and blessed time.

But, for those of us left behind – husband, children, family, friends – this is also a bitter, agonizing time.  We do sincerely rejoice that our friend is free from the confines of this world – that by the blood of her Savior, she is at last made perfect and whole.  But she is also gone from our world.  We can no longer go to her for advice, cry on her shoulder, or experience life with her.  This is a major loss punctuated all the more by the sudden nature of her passing.

And so, though I cannot do much, I put together these images, full of Scripture, to remind us that this life if not the end.  This life, as real and permanent as it feels, is a tenuous prelude to eternity – to our real life.   This life is but a vapor in comparison to the never-ending life to come.

{warning: it’s about to get real Christiany!}
So I ask the question – are you prepared for death?  Are you living your life so as to prepare for an eternal existence?  I know far too often, I am stuck in the here and now – but thanks be to God that he sent his son, Christ Jesus, to this earth to die in my stead – a death I fully deserve to die.  It is through his blood that we are healed – by his grace that we can come to him and receive everlasting joys forevermore.

If you would like to know more about what it means to have a relationship with Jesus, below are several links to short but helpful resources – and of course, I am always open for discussion.

For Your Joy
Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Died
Finally Alive: What Happens When We Are Born Again

For all of you out there suffering through death, loss and hardship, I leave you with this from 1 Peter [ESV]:     Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

And Lastly – these images are free for the taking – they are HD 1080P files, perfect for desktop wallpaper.  Enjoy!

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