A TIME FOR.....

These past few weeks, or maybe I should say months, have been very stressful and hectic for sure!
The most significant being the illness and death of my youngest sister, Nina. She was admitted into the hospital around the second week of February with no feeling in her legs. On the same day she was admitted, she went into cardiac arrest and into a comma from which she never recovered. She was diagnosed with a very rare syndrome called Guillian Barre Syndrome. This syndrome is usually triggered by some type of respiratory infection or stomach flu. Most people do recover, but there is that less than 5% chance that can be fatal. My sister fell in that unfortunate category! She passed away on March 22, 2008, during one of the most important celebrations of the Christian faith, Easter! After all the sorrow and mourning that took place, I am finally able to take time to do some reflection on all that has happened.

I am reminded of what King Solomon penned in the book of Ecclesiastes chapter 3, verses 1-8.

1 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: 2 A time to be born,
And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; 3 A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up; 4 A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance; 5 A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing; 6 A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away; 7 A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak; 8 A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace.

In this world of ours, we are constantly faced with inevitable things and events. Some are pleasant in nature, some are very unpleasant. The spectrum of emotions can easily go from one end to the other. When we really think about it, there really is a season or an appointed time for everything! We can easily see this in the four seasons of the year; spring, summer, fall and winter. In each of the seasons there is a particular time to do certain things, especially in agriculture. Although, there are certain events that have a specific time frame or timetable, death is not one of them. Death can come at an unexpected time, but still, there is an appointed time for it, even though we might not be aware of it, God is totally aware of it. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 9:27, "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment." For us as human beings, we have no control over when and how we are born, nor when or how we will die. If anything, I have come to understand that one of the certainties of life, is death.

Death has a way of bringing fear into our lives, and very well so. It is one of the many things which we cannot control. And because of the unknown, we fear it and have a tendency to avoid conversations or topics that deal with it. Can you blame us? After all, it is a normal reaction. We were made to be eternal beings, but because of sin, the immortal became mortal. There is a hope, one that Paul mentions with great joy to the church of Corinth, after having gone over in detail, the importance and reality of the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15:57-58;

57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

I especially like verse 57 myself! I do not know what God has in store for anyone of us or how He can turn mourning into laughter, but I do know that His promises are true and that "all things work toward good for those that trust in Christ Jesus"! Emphasis on the ALL!!

Yes, it wasn't a time that I or any family member enjoys going through, "but thanks be to God" that He has defeated death and as His children, there is no need to fear any longer! But even in death, some good can still be found. We just don't know exactly how and when. But rest assured, it will be coming!

May He be glorified in ALL things and through ALL!!

James
4/15/2008