I love the song 'Held' by Natalie Grant. Some of the lyrics are "we're asking why this happens to us who have died to live, it's unfair. This is what it means to be held, how it feels when the sacred is torn from your life and you survive. This is what it is to be loved and to know that the promise was when everything fell, we'd be held." Thank you Jesus that you promise to always hold us up in our weakness.
The last few weeks I felt like my world was falling. We sold our house and purchased another but in the long process, through no fault of our own, we ended up moved out of our home with nowhere to go for over two weeks. It was extremely stressful and emotionally draining figuring everything out. We are in our new home now and I am really grateful to the Lord for his provision. However, what I am more thankful for is the way the Lord showed his presence all over this situation. Miracle after miracle, prayer after prayer. I felt for the first time in my life I truly held onto Him for dear life because I could do absolutely NOTHING to change my circumstance, but I knew He could.
During these last three weeks I also attended two funerals, both men who went before what we would consider their time. One of them was named Eric and he was 36 years old when he died after an 12 month battle with cancer. He and his wife had been married 18 months. Needless to say, it was a devastating death for all involved. But the funeral was the most amazing I have ever been to. During his illness Eric came back into a relationship with the Lord. He went from listening to death metal and Beastie Boys to insisting on praise music being on in his room 24/7. Toward the end, he would throw up every 30 minutes all day and night. His wife said sometimes during trips to the bathroom he would sing songs to the Lord.
She stood up at the funeral and spoke of his peace during his illness and the fact that he had reached his ultimate healing. She explained how Eric would want everyone there to come into a relationship with the Lord and if they did it was all worth it. That is BIG stuff!! That is not something we can blow off and not "sweat". That is the ultimate nightmare - but Leah and Eric used it ultimately for God's glory. She is a 36 year old widow but she knows God is taking care of her. WOW I will leave you with some lyrics from a song he requested to be played at his funeral. Thank you for listening to my ramblings.
In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this Solid Ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand
No guilt in life, no fear in death This is the power of Christ in me From life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I stand
