Thursday's morning drive into work rewarded me with brilliant soft yellow white sun rays shining through moody blue clouds. Moving south I enjoy the warmth of sunrise on my left cheek. It is like being kissed by God. Turning east my eyes glaze in awe of His Masterful Artwork! I had to capture a few clicks to sear it into my memory. Its a feast for my soul as I start a work day.
This Thursday was going to end differently than just another day in and day out. The news I was to receive & process was going make this morning's sunrise a little bit more permanently etched on my soul. At 11:15AM my cousin Jim walked onto Heaven's shores. What? He's only four years older than I! Just should not be!
This Thursday waves of childhood memories flooded my daydreams & my tears released emotions that I could not speak. My cousins are all older than I except one so I generally was in awe of them. I'm finding myself pausing here as the memories again like snapshots flick across my mind. Grandma L kept showing up. My heart bubbled up just thinking of a young Grandma waiting there on Heaven's shores with arms wide open to receive Jim in a ferocious hug right after Jesus. Oh, how I have tears because of this earthly loss! Oh, how my heart aches for his wife's loss & for the son who lost his dad too soon! But behind this pain is a Joy inexpressible!
Being born into the Family of God gives me such an uncontainable & unmeasurable Assurance that death has truly lost its sting. Oh, it still hurts here & its work to keep setting Jesus ever before me when the world does its best to drown Him out.
As another morning dawned, God's Word did too. The Divine Author pens in word pictures that this student leans in for more. Proverb 4:18 says "the path of the Righteous is like the first gleam of morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day." Remembering the previous day's sunrise & remembering Jim, family twice over, I began to fuse these two pictures together...
Always before I stopped the picture at the sunrise because sunrises can be so dramatic with its God-Fingers slicing through the shadows of the trees. Full light of day was like the show was over. I just hadn't fused the two pictures together correctly.
The first gleam of dawn pierces through the shadows & clouds. Isn't that just how it is with the Righteous? God's Sonlight pierces right through our shadows of sin, pain, sadness, & darkness. As a child of God grows more & more like Jesus, the child shines ever brighter. The full light of day came for Jim as he walked onto Heaven's shore. We've seen the special effects so we have an idea but Jim knows full well. The full Light of day consumes all the sin, pain, sadness, & darkness. No more shadows. No more sad tears. No more falling short. No more struggle. The brilliant soft yellow white once gleam is full light so bright for Jim. Its exciting to see new believers grow as Jesus gleams through them but oh, as believers gathers days & years, the shadows seems to grow longer & longer, believers yearn & ache for the God's Perfecting Work in them & for those promising Golden Shores. Full Light of Day.
I will always delight in God's beautiful sunrises but there will be no stopping there for me. I will relish the Light!
When we all get to Heaven
What a day of Rejoicing that will be
When we all see Jesus
We'll sing & shout the Victory!
I'm starting the Rejoicing early...
Salvation =
new creation
Family
a sure Strength
purpose
Victory over death
Heaven
Jesus Christ our Groom
Union
reunions
JOY overload & beyond measure
