On Friday 17 December 2021, I walked my daughter down the aisle and presented her to her now husband. What joy it was to see the two of them come together in union to celebrate the rest of their lives. And we were blessed to share it with her sister, my daughter from Arizona, who graciously attended.
I received so many congratulatory comments over social media the next few days, and when I went to church Sunday 19 December 2021, that it was difficult to respond to them all. Oh, the joy! But Sunday would be different. I received phone calls from a sister and nephew that our brother, his father, had died. Ooh, what pain! It took a while to reprocess my thoughts, and when I did, I wondered if I was dreaming. No, this was real. I didn’t want to talk about it, so I left church and hoped the phone didn’t ring that evening. But some of the family did call later to check on me. That reaching out helped some.
I wanted to call my brother’s wife but didn’t want to do it until the next morning. She was the one who found him, so I knew she was hurting bad. When I called, I was surprised and glad that she and the son were doing much better.
Last night, as I lay in bed, I recalled my brother’s favorite bible verse when we talked. Hebrews 11:1 (KJV) reads, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Faith, how many of us have some? Faith in God. Faith that His son came, died, and arose. Faith that now, we have a brother and God in Jesus Christ. A brother because we have been adopted into the family of our great Father God. John 14:1-4 reads, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.” Through faith we know, or at least we should know.
Our Savior went on to say in verse 6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” He also told them (disciples), if they had really known Him, then they would know who the Father is and anyone who has seen Him (Jesus), has seen the Father. When walking by faith we know this.
Jesus, our brother and God promises in John 14:15-18, 20, “If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you… When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.” Through faith we need to love, obey, recognize, know, and be in Him. Emmanuel is, Christ in us!
I was reminded later in the chapter that God is always gifting to us. Verses 27 and 28 read, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again.” Jesus had provided comfort to the family even before my brother left for his room in the heavenly home. How we accept that gift, determines how we get through our loss. I know that God is in me, and His gift of peace of mind and heart is allowing me to share the gift with others. Thank you, Holy Spirit; thank you brother Jesus; thank you Father God. Jesus, I have faith, that You are in the Father, I am in You, You are in me, and You are coming back.
Brother Lewis, take your place in the everlasting arms of our adopted family. Know that we love you; are constantly thinking of you; and will miss you until “everything is ready.” And let’s all be obedient to Christ. John 14:23 reads, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them.” Let’s love Him and do what He says. I don’t know about you, but I want my room. That loving home provides an opportunity for me to be reunited with my brothers, my sisters, and my mom who all went before me. It provides a place for you and me to gather with all our loved ones. We can have joy through the pain if we accept the gift of peace of mind and heart. If we only have faith; the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. I love you Charles Lewis Wrencher!
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