He Lives!

 I’m finally getting around to a post that God began speaking to me about at Easter. It’s no surprise that once again God used the words of a song to encourage my heart.   Maybe you can hear him speaking to you through this song too.  I love the hope that “Because He Lives” by Bill and Gloria Gaither delivers.  The truths sung in this beautiful song ring true in my life in so many ways, and I confess I rarely can sing it with a dry eye.

Verse One ~ God sent His son – they called Him Jesus; He came to love, heal and forgive; He lived and died to buy my pardon; an empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.

We all have struggles and moments of wondering if we actually can face tomorrow.  Good news - we serve a risen savior!  We don’t have to wonder, we can know.  We know he lives.  We know he holds the future.  Aren’t God’s promises exciting?!

Verse Two ~ How sweet to hold a new-born baby and feel the pride and joy he gives; but greater still the calm assurance; this child can face uncertain days because Christ lives.

On Easter 2008 this verse took on a new significance.  We had just found out we were expecting and the words, “How sweet to hold a new born baby”, brought a new excitement and joy to my heart.  I’ve sung this song many times before, but not until this moment did these words seem so special to me.  A new born baby, my new born baby; I couldn’t imagine anything greater.  God knew the future, that I would never hold my new born baby on this earth.  Had I written my story, I would have never thought to include a chapter with a miscarriage, but I could face that sad time in my life because Christ lives.  God so delicately holds my future and he knows the plans he has for my life.  He’s known these plans long before I was ever born! I’m learning to accept His story for my life and be thankful that I’m not the author.  He’s taking me on a journey of sweet release of control and obsessive planning; a journey that is bringing me into the calming presence and peace of Jesus. (The devotional book Jesus Calling by Sarah Young has been a great companion on this journey).

Our time of worship on Easter 2012 once again included, “Because He Lives”.  Tears of joy welled up because I see God working out his beautiful plan to bring children into our lives. He’s brought me through my hurt and is revealing his plans for our family.  I may not hold a “new born baby” because more than likely the children we adopt will be past the stage of infancy, but I know that God is preparing to bless us with a family.  My prayer is that God will bless us in such a radical way that others will be drawn to him and his name will be glorified!

I know the words, “This child can face uncertain days because Christ lives”, will ring true as we welcome children into our home.  Currently our children don’t know us and we don’t know them.  Uncertain days are promised for us all, but my heart rejoices that because Jesus Christ is alive we can face these days with peace, confidence, and joy.   I pray for our children to learn that in Christ they have victory over whatever difficult situations they have experienced in their young lives.  I know that as a family in Christ we can endure the challenges that will arise.

Verse Three ~ And then one day I’ll cross the river; I’ll fight life’s final war with pain;  and then, as death gives way to victory, I’ll see the lights of glory – and I’ll know He lives.

“I’ll fight life’s final war with pain.”  Pain is promised in this world, but my heart leaps knowing that this world is not the end!  One day, one beautiful day, pain will cease to exist.  I’m thankful for the life God has blessed me with on this earth, but my heart rejoices knowing I have an eternal home where struggles with physical pain will be no more.  When I was diagnosed with endometriosis, I naively thought that after my first surgery I was “fixed”.  Surgeries helped, but definitely didn’t cure.  Instead chronic, nagging pain and personal struggles prevailed.  Praise the Lord that endo is not a life threatening disease, but it definitely threatens the quality of your life.  You look fine, but don’t always feel so fine.  Too often I’ve entertained questions like, “Why won’t you just heal me already?”, but God is working on changing this way of thinking.  He’s transforming my earthly viewpoint into an eternal one.  He’s teaching me to diligently pray for others struggling with physical pain.  He’s teaching me to draw near to him and that he will draw near to me.  He's teaching me that's it's not all about me, but instead all about Jesus.  I’m learning that my life desperately depends on God’s help and guidance – not my own. 

Because He lives I can face tomorrow, because He lives all fear is gone; because I know He holds the future and life is worth the living – just because He lives.

Not only can I face tomorrow, but I can celebrate today!  I can be thankful for this very moment that God has given me.  I’m excited about the future, but I’m learning to relish the life that God has blessed me with today.  As far as the adoption process goes, "relishing today" means waiting for God to move.   It means diligently seeking him while we wait.  So far we've done all that's required of us by the state and we're just waiting for a call from our social worker.  What a wonderful call that will be!