New Beginnings

As our family rings in the new year, two members of our family will be losing loved ones in a matter of days.  My husband will be losing his older brother who has battled cancer for four years, and my sister-in-law will be losing her father who recently became very ill and cannot battle this sickness in his elderly age.  

Doesn't sound like a great start to a new year.

And so, I turn to the Word of God to be comforted and to find answers to my earthly questions.

God reminds me that our times are in his hands, (Psalm 31:14,15a) and that even in death, he will not leave us. Psalm 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

The Lord Himself will escort our loved ones to Him.

As believers in Christ, we have the promise, or the confidence, rather, that to be absent from the body, we are present with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:8)

As I began to read the promises from God's word, I began to realize that as we quietly wait to say goodbye to our loved ones, they are eagerly awaiting to say hello to their Saviour!

It sounds like a pretty great start to the new year after all.

    But that's just me!

Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.  Psalms 116:15

"Death-the last sleep?  No, it's the final awakening!"  Sir Walter Scott