During my high school senior trip my class visited New York City. 1982. Part of the visit included a ride up to the top of the World Trade Center and a view of all New York and the surrounding Atlantic Ocean. The sight was astounding, yet terrifying. At that height buildings tend to shake a little when the wind moves. I remember being too frightened to go too close to the edge of the observation area. Heights are not my thing. I still have the ticket from that event, taped within a scrapbook, all that’s left of the memory and the now destroyed buildings.

God tells us, “'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

God’s ways are so high we cannot observe them, understand them, comprehend them, nor know them without His wisdom. (James 1:5)

What are God’s ways?

Death brings about life is one of His ways.

Lord Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” (John 12:24)

When Lord Jesus is as the grain of wheat that died and was in a tomb, the earth. Then He rose again, to eternal life. He made the way for many (much fruit) who believe in Him to have eternal life. (John 3:16)

“But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep (dead).” (1Corinthians 15:20)

Being men, the disciples, hadn’t wanted this. They hadn’t understood eternal life, nor the death and resurrection of their Lord. After all, it had never happened before. Many of His followers wanted to proclaim Him king and thought that Lord Jesus would liberate them from the Roman occupation. (John 6:15)

But Lord Jesus didn’t do that, because it wasn’t God’s plan. God’s plan was bigger and more encompassing than that, providing eternal life and forgiveness through Lord Jesus to all who believed.

Sometimes people who are close to us also die. They die young, old, in accidents, of disease. We will all die. But we don’t want that. It is frightening to many.

God’s plan is bigger than what we want. He wants everyone He can get in Heaven. Why? He loves us.

Heaven is where eternal life is. Living on Earth is just temporary and preparatory.

Lord Jesus resides in the Kingdom of Heaven. He sits beside God the Father within the Holy of Holies. The saints, those who have died in Christ, knowing Him, are there with Him within the City of God. (Revelation 21, 22:1-5)

As Lord Jesus’ death brought about eternal life, so will believers’ deaths bring about their eternal lives.

Though we mourn for the missing relationship we had with someone who died, God understands. He sent His own Son, Jesus, to the cross, to die.

COMMUNITY: A WAY OF JESUS

After exiting the school bus one autumn afternoon, I walked the short dirt road distance to my front door. Inside, my mom waited. The principal of my elementary school had phoned her. She wanted to speak with me about it. I had gone missing at recess.

Next door to my elementary school’s playground was the town cemetery. My paternal grandfather had died during October and he was buried at the east end of the graveyard, not far from the school grounds. I have no memory of this, but Mom said that the “recess lady,” (our neighbor) had searched all over for me, finally finding me next to my grandfather’s grave.

That was fifth grade. My grandpa was the first funeral I’d gone through. No one told me that he had gone to Heaven, only that he’d died. My father never cried, never spoke about it. Grandpa was 54, dead from a heart attack.

In our society we’ve been taught not to cry, especially men.

But Lord Jesus wept about the death of his friend Lazarus when He saw the emotional pain Martha and Mary went through. (John 11:35)

In our society we’ve been taught to repress our feelings, especially men.

But Lord Jesus, alive in the flesh, experienced sadness, he was known as a “man of sorrows.” (Isaiah 53:3)

In this life we go through many problems which affect us emotionally. Emotions left bottled up turn into depression, mental disturbances and even suicide.

Because The Lord has lived this life and experienced its worst, He understands our frame, our weaknesses. Cry when you need to. Show your feelings of sorrow. Let them out. Speak to Lord Jesus and to another safe person about what you’re going through.

Your words are heard by Lord Jesus in Heaven. They come up to Him as incense and are kept in golden bowls. Our hands lifted to Him, He sees as an evening sacrifice. (Psalm 141:2; Revelation 5:8)

He’s here to catch your tears and put them in His bottle. He acknowledges every one of your tears, recording them in His book. (Psalm 56:8)

Speak to the children in your life about what they’re feeling. Acknowledge them just as God acknowledges us. Reassure them that God is in control. Tell them about where their prayers go and about Heaven.

One afternoon after I was grown and had my own children, my spouse and I pulled back in to the Goodrich cemetery. I wanted to visit my grandparents’ grave one last time before returning south to Florida. I opened the side door of the rental van. My young children, so innocent of death and sorrow, jumped out and ran across the green summer grass shouting “A park! A park!” They loved the peacefulness, the trees, flowers and the nearby pond. A beautiful resting place for souls gone to Heaven.

LOOK UP!

COMMUNITY: A WAY OF JESUS

SPEND TIME ALONE WITH GOD