Desiring a “better country, a heavenly one”

Have you ever had two significant events happen at once and both being complete opposites.  Like the birth and at the the same time the death of a dear one?  How does one process both the joy of new life yet lament over bidding farewell to your dear one?  The other day was something like that.  I woke up earlier than usual to finish the last details before our trip to go and celebrate the wedding of a dear friend.   Not long after, I found out an uncle had passed away.   And then couple hours later found out of the passing away of a friend’s mother in law.  

We often can feel mixed emotions over one thing in particular, but how about opposing feelings for so different occurrences?  I’ve often said I’m not one to react emotionally, and yes I’ve had a couple of tears well up, yet it has made me wonder how we process the news of knowing someone will no longer be among us and at the same time celebrate life. 

As I showered, I couldn’t help but remember the memories of my uncle.  He became a traveler after he and his wife retired.   They both traveled everywhere, or at least it seemed that way.  Growing up far from my extended family it was a welcomed sight to have them over for visits.  He was no stranger to mourning either, He lost his wife when he was still in his sixties and a few years later his parents also followed.  Even if at times it felt like my aunt took advantage of his chivalry, I loved seeing his devotion to his wife even more so when she got ill and did’t recover completely from brain surgery. One could say he lived life. Happiness, sorrow, and everything in between. My dad’s prayer, and mine, is that they both may have gotten to encounter Jesus the Savior and that we shall see them once again. 

Even as I was mourning my uncle, part of me wanted to celebrate life. That morning I was getting ready for a trip to my friend’s wedding for which three teenagers from the Ranch were accompanying me. They had never traveled, period. Much less fly on an airplane to go to one of the world’s best beaches. It was an exciting life experience for this three young girls and I was getting to witness them live it. 

It hurts to hear of the news of dear one passing and the sorrow that mourning brings, yet it can also makes us reflect on our own lives and how we are living them.  I know some feel that when there is mourning we ought to suspend our lives, at least for a while.   And I completely understand that in some cases it is all one can do to deal with the anguish.  Somehow, this time it actually encouraged me to keep living.  Acknowledge your loss, remember those sweet memories, honor those, who for now, will no longer be among us, but also live. 

I strongly believe this life is just a extremely poor version of what awaits those whose hope is in Christ.  Yet it is so easy to get caught up with sorrow, routines, or even  ambitions that we lose sight of living. Or we grab so tight to this life that we fail to even enjoy what we may have of it or worse we fail to long for our true homeland.  Jesus came to give us life, and not just after this one (which we should look forward to) but also here and now. Having to face these two different circumstances, death and life, it made me ask myself if I was truly living life as well as if I was keeping my eyes on eternity. Thinking about what we are living now, how are we responding?   While in the midst of this pandemic we can focus all our energies in surviving but does that mean we stop living?

There are different circumstances and situations,  so I’m not saying there’s only one way to face our times or circumstances.  What I do want to encourage is to reflect and confront our own hearts on how we are responding to these challenges.  Are we still trusting God and choosing to live or are we allowing fear or sorrow keep us from living the life God has set before us?  Or are we wanting to preserve our own lifes at all costs?

Today I was reading Hebrews 11 and it encouraged me to see the faith Enoch, Noah, and Abraham that even though they did not really receive the promise in this life, they lived and longed for the heavenly homeland.

These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. ¹⁴ For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. ¹⁵ If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

Hebrews 11:13-16

Life, like anything/anyone you hold too close can rob us from actually living or having God’s best for us…Himself. So whether we face sorrow or death, are we taking God at His Word? Are you living or surviving? I pray you live and take hold of God’s promises like Abraham and Enoch and desire a better country, the Homeland prepared by Christ for those who believe in HIm. That whether our life seems cut short, we can have the assurance we are truly going Home. May you long for that eternal bliss of being with the Savior that whether you face death or life, you may do so straight on and that you will not falter but stand firm on God’s promise.