A Most Glorious Beginning
Patsy Kuipers, Guest Writer
TODAY’S TREASURE
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13).
Over two decades have passed since my husband’s sudden death. I’ve received countless notifications since informing me of the passing of various friends and relatives. Some elicited sighs of resignation as elderly aunts and uncles were called to their heavenly rest. Others caused me to wail in disbelief at the news as unexpected as that of my husband’s fatal heart attack.
Losing a loved one never gets easier. At least, it hasn’t been for me. Even though we do not grieve as those who have no hope, we grieve nonetheless because death wasn’t part of God’s good creation. We were never meant to experience the ravages of illness, aging, and accidents, much less death. But when Adam and Eve chose to disobey, death entered (Genesis 3:17-19). All creation has been groaning under the curse ever since, for the wages of sin is death. (Romans 8:19-23; Romans 6:23)
Praise God, and He didn’t leave us in that helpless, hopeless state! (John 3:16; Romans 5) As believers, we’re assured the separation is temporary. Even so, there is a real separation. A beloved’s departure leaves a silence, an empty spot, that only their voice, their presence, can fill.
Occasionally someone asks if I would wish Ray back. I know the spiritually-correct answer. How could I be so selfish as to ask him to return from Paradise? Yet when I think back over all we’ve experienced and endured without him over the past 20+ years, in my frail humanity, I wish, oh so much, he’d been here – to watch his daughters grow into amazing young women, to play with his grandchildren, to tend our garden with me. Surely we would have benefitted from the presence of this kind, godly man.
The One who records our tears on His scroll understands. Moments before He called Lazarus from the tomb, knowing the Father would hear His plea to raise His friend, Jesus wept. Being full of compassion, He shared Mary and Martha’s sorrow, and He shares ours.
But unlike our human friends who come alongside us with sincere condolences and ministrations in our times of need, Jesus also meets our deepest need, the need to be reconciled to God. Our Savior took our sins upon Himself and paid our penalty so we may joyfully proclaim as Rev. Todd Allen did at Ray’s funeral, “Death is not the end, beloved. For the believer, it is the most glorious beginning!”
LIFE-GIVING ENCOURAGEMENT
Sometime back, I came across this thought-provoking statement: “We are all under sentence of death; we are all terminal cases.” Sometimes death comes quickly, unexpectedly, as with Ray’s passing. At other times it’s preceded by a long, arduous illness. Regardless of its manner, it is a certainty the penalty for sin. The author went on to say, “For the believer, the time of death becomes far less daunting a factor when seen in the light of eternity. Although death remains a formidable opponent, it is, from another perspective, the portal through which we pass to consummated life. We pass through death, and death dies. And the more a Christian lives in the consciousness of God’s presence here, the easier it is to anticipate the unqualified delight that will be experienced in God’s presence there.” A most glorious beginning indeed!
PRAYER
O, Lord, how we thank You for shedding your precious blood to redeem us. We can grieve with hope because Your victory over the grave ensures that we, too, will be raised victorious.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Patsy Kuipers often refers to herself as “Gardening Grammie”, a title that encompasses two of her favorite pastimes. Widowed at age 38, she was blessed to be gainfully employed all the years she spent raising two daughters on her own. When her job was eliminated several years ago, she returned to school to study horticulture, a passion born of caring for the garden her husband left as part of his legacy. Patsy is Grammie to three small but enthusiastic garden helpers. She enjoys teaching them about plants and the One who created them. Patsy started her blog, Back 2 the Garden (patsykuipers.com), to tell others of God’s great love and faithfulness. She is a member of Grace Covenant Church in Dallas, GA where she serves on the Women’s Ministry Committee and leads women’s Bible studies.
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Originally published Tuesday, 18 October 2022.
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