"Consolation"

 One of the items I inherited after my mother's passing was an "angel bear" that her best friend had given her while she was in the nursing home. The idea of the angel bear is to serve as a watchman for the person to whom it is given.The bear figuratively speaking "watches over them" bringing a sense of peace and comfort. Once I brought the bear to my home, I had my husband put it on the wall over the bed in the guest room. I soon discovered that rather than feeling a sense of peace and comfort I was experiencing the pain of seeing the bear and being reminded of my mother. I was sitting with the Lord the other day and flipping through the front of my Bible having finished praying about the difficult struggle of grief. I keep various prayers and other meditative papers in the front cover of my Bible. I happened to pull out a contemplative prayer given to me by my spiritual director entitled, "The Consoler." The text of Scripture was Luke 2:22-38. This is the story of Joseph and Mary presenting Jesus at the Temple to be circumcised. While there, they are approached by a man named Simeon who had been promised by the Lord that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Messiah. The text states Simeon was waiting for the consolation of Israel. After seeing Jesus, he gave glory to God that he could now die in peace, "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, You may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel." (Luke 2:29-32) Simeon also blessed Mary and Joseph but warned Mary specifically that a sword would "pierce her soul." There was also at the Temple a prophet named Anna who after her husband died, spent her remaining years at the Temple fasting and praying. She too, gave God the glory for Jesus and all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.(Luke 2:36-38) One of the themes that kept leaping out at me as I read through the meditation was focused on "seeing." Both Simeon and Anna beheld something that was above and beyond anything they could have hoped for or imagined. The saw the promised Messiah. They were witnesses to the glory of God. After I finished reading the meditation it occurred to me that the angel bear no longer was a symbol of pain but of promise. There is a tag attached to the bear which encouragers the recipient to give the bear a name. My mother's friend had named it after my mother. The irony is my mother's first name was Concye (pronounced ConSee). She saw the Lord's salvation and could now be dismissed in peace. I realized that bear also served as a silent witness and saw the glory of God as His ministering angels came to receive my mother's spirit. It gave me a new perspective and a new appreciation for the gift of that bear. I decided to rename the bear "Consolation" because the One who is my Comforter opened my eyes to a new vision beyond what I could have asked for or imagined. At the end of the meditation there is a quote by Gabriele D' Annunzio. "The richest events occur in us long before the soul receives them. And, when we begin to open our eyes to the visible, we have long since committed ourselves to the invisible." The sword of my mother's death has indeed pierced my soul but as I open my eyes to this visible angel bear on the wall I am overwhelmed by her symbolic connection to the invisible God.

To God Be The Glory!
Pastor Sheree

Changes

It has almost been one month since my mother passed away. Time seems to fly so quickly and as I was observing the changes in nature that are presently occurring all around me, I felt a poem rise up within to express my feelings in this new season.

Changes

Changes before my eyes I see,
Images of sadness and visions of beauty.
Life is ending all around,
Natures's glory makes no sound.
Colors respond to their Savior's command,
It's time to sleep in death again.
Human bodies frail and weak,
In the dying reach their peak.
They hear the Father's voice say, "Come!
Your time on earth is now all done."
His words are spoken from my heart,
Over one from whom I must part.
Spring will come around once more,
And all creation won't ignore, 
The call of Him who says, "Arise!"
As nature opens up her eyes.
Human bodies once so weak,
Will rise up their Lord to meet.
Changes before my eyes I'll see,
No more sadness but glory.
Seasons there will be no more,
And His Presence we will adore.
Open up my eyes to see,
Beyond the veil that covers me.
That this heart which harbors pain,
Peace and comfort will regain. 
Seasons, seasons changing me,
Colors in my life will be,
Painted by the Master's hand,
So one day I'll understand,
The power of what our God has done,
In the suffering of His Son.

Shalom,
Pastor Sheree

A Painful Gift

Some of you may be wondering about the title to this posting. A gift is usually something we enjoy receiving. Who would want to receive a gift that causes pain? The reality is that we will all one day receive a painful gift. This morning my mother passed away after a long struggle with various health issues. The pain of the loss of a loved one is never easy. Yet, it is something we all experience the longer we live on this earth. The Bible is clear that we are all destined to die. (Hebrews 9:27) However, whether we see death as an enemy or a friend depends on our relationship with Jesus Christ. In Christ we were given a painful gift in that He died a horrible, painful, and agonizing death so that we could receive the gift of eternal life. Jesus took on human form so He could experience the strain and struggle of our humanity. He identifies with us as Hebrews 4:15 states, "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin." God knows the pain of loss and we are told He draws near to the brokenhearted. (Psalm 34:18; 147:3) Even in the midst of our pain God makes Himself very real. The day before my mother's passing, we had spent time visiting with her. She was on hospice care at the nursing home and although she was not able to respond to us, I believe she could hear us as experts say that hearing is the last sense to go before death. My husband and I were able to read Scripture to her from the book of Revelation regarding the hope yet to come when the New Jerusalem descends from heaven. There will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain and Jesus will rule and reign fully in His power and glory. (Revelation 21 & 22) Prior to our departure, I anointed her with oil and we prayed for her and I told her it was all right to go. The gift that God gave me came the morning of her death as we happened to be in church when she passed away. My church family was able to surround me after the service and pray for me, each one in turn giving me a loving embrace after prayer. I believe God ordained it to be that way so He could personally minister to me through His body, the church. The church body in that moment was faithful to Paul's exhortation in Galatians 6:2, "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." I am grateful to God for the 79 years of life that He gave to my mother. In going forward with whatever years of life the Lord has ordained for me, I am confident that He will walk with me through the many other trials and losses that I will experience in the future. I trust Him with my todays and my tomorrows for, "If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all--how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?..For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, neither the present or the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:31b-32;38-39)
To God Be The Glory!
Pastor Sheree