Today my cousin, Cindy, went Home. I had not seen her in several years, but still it hit hard.
She was always the "cool" slightly older cousin. We all thought she was the prettiest among us and loved being around her at family reunions. She was fun. She had an easy smile.
But tonight she has finished her fight with cancer. Four children miss their mama tonight. Siblings weep for their sister, and a husband prepares to bury his second wife, the second time cancer has robbed him of his love. It is just so sad, and makes no sense to anyone.
But I know she knew Jesus, and because of that I don't need it to make sense. She is home, with her earthly and Heavenly Daddy, and she is free from pain and suffering. I thank God that, one day, distance and death will no longer separate families. We will all be together, one family, in that beautiful City...for eternity.
Yes, come Lord Jesus.
Along with the bitter comes the sweet. Tonight held a visit with a precious couple from Uganda, Peter and Phoebe Sozi, who care for and disciple HUNDREDS of children. (1600 if I remember correctly!) Jesus literally seeps from their pores, so sweet and tangible is the Spirit of God in them. To be with them is to be on Holy Ground.
By the way, I really, really want to go, to take my family to Uganda. You can pray for that.
We sponsor 4 children in their school, but two of them recently left. Phoebe had a stack of photos...each one representing a life waiting to be blessed. How in the world do you pick children when there are so many? But we did, so we are now the proud "parents" of Vanessa and Maurice! I can hardly wait to write to them! Sponsorship is such a great way to care for the millions of kids in poverty around the world. And when you get a letter praising God for YOU, telling you how they are doing in school and how they have their basic needs met because you picked their smile out of a stack of smiles? Well, it is a beautiful feeling. I am determined to meet these kids, and I pray God makes it possible very soon. I just want to hug those sweet necks and tell them with MY VOICE how precious they are, how beautiful they are, and how being their sponsor...their family from afar...enriches my life. I pray they see their worth, somehow, in the fact that someone cares. They are important and special and loved because they are children of God. Now, I can count them among the children of my heart. Poverty and death have robbed them, but God is in the business of restoration. He makes all things new and I hold again to His promise that one day distance and death will no longer separate families.
One day the word "orphan" will be obsolete.
Yes, come Lord Jesus.
She was always the "cool" slightly older cousin. We all thought she was the prettiest among us and loved being around her at family reunions. She was fun. She had an easy smile.
But tonight she has finished her fight with cancer. Four children miss their mama tonight. Siblings weep for their sister, and a husband prepares to bury his second wife, the second time cancer has robbed him of his love. It is just so sad, and makes no sense to anyone.
But I know she knew Jesus, and because of that I don't need it to make sense. She is home, with her earthly and Heavenly Daddy, and she is free from pain and suffering. I thank God that, one day, distance and death will no longer separate families. We will all be together, one family, in that beautiful City...for eternity.
Yes, come Lord Jesus.
Along with the bitter comes the sweet. Tonight held a visit with a precious couple from Uganda, Peter and Phoebe Sozi, who care for and disciple HUNDREDS of children. (1600 if I remember correctly!) Jesus literally seeps from their pores, so sweet and tangible is the Spirit of God in them. To be with them is to be on Holy Ground.
By the way, I really, really want to go, to take my family to Uganda. You can pray for that.
We sponsor 4 children in their school, but two of them recently left. Phoebe had a stack of photos...each one representing a life waiting to be blessed. How in the world do you pick children when there are so many? But we did, so we are now the proud "parents" of Vanessa and Maurice! I can hardly wait to write to them! Sponsorship is such a great way to care for the millions of kids in poverty around the world. And when you get a letter praising God for YOU, telling you how they are doing in school and how they have their basic needs met because you picked their smile out of a stack of smiles? Well, it is a beautiful feeling. I am determined to meet these kids, and I pray God makes it possible very soon. I just want to hug those sweet necks and tell them with MY VOICE how precious they are, how beautiful they are, and how being their sponsor...their family from afar...enriches my life. I pray they see their worth, somehow, in the fact that someone cares. They are important and special and loved because they are children of God. Now, I can count them among the children of my heart. Poverty and death have robbed them, but God is in the business of restoration. He makes all things new and I hold again to His promise that one day distance and death will no longer separate families.
One day the word "orphan" will be obsolete.
Yes, come Lord Jesus.
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