Wednesday, May 11, 2011

"There will be a Day"

I don't know how many of you are familiar with the Jeremy Camp song, "There will be a Day," but just as I was sitting down to blog about today, that is what popped in my head.

I spent the day up North, past Ft. Wayne for a really good college friend's mom's funeral. She passed away Friday evening after a hard battle with cancer. It was truly a celebration of her life and I overall witnessed passed the human sorrow of losing a loved one, an atmosphere that was light and energetic as we remembered this remarkable woman.

I still cried like a baby through parts of the service for different reasons:
1- I felt sorrow for my friend. He has been there for me through some of the toughest things I have faced in my young-life so far and he was losing his mother at such a young age.
2- I was thinking, "What if that were my mom?" My mom and I have grown through the "parent-child" relationship and into the "best-friend" relationship and I couldn't imagine doing things in my future like planning a wedding someday without her.
3 - I HATE CANCER! I have known too many people either personally or who have had loved ones been affected by this selfish disease.

Again, the service was about a celebration and Bonnie wanted it that way and told one of the ministers to use her funeral as an opportunity to teach to those attending so that they might grow deeper in their faiths. To have belief, and what one of the ministers referred to more adequately as trust, in the gracious gift God gave us through Jesus Christ - Eternal Life! Can I get a hallelujah?

So I think that is why the Jeremy Camp song popped into my head, for there will indeed be a day with no more tears, no more pain and no more fear! There will be a day when the burdens of this place, will be no more and we'll see Jesus face to face.  Thank you Bonnie for giving me such wonderful friend in your son. I know you are continuing to love your husband, children and family in a much better place and that indeed you have seen Jesus now face to face!

Monday, May 2, 2011

Unrest

The recent world news had some great timing - right before finals! Thanks! Honestly, the world happenings concern/worry me more than my finals. While yes, Bin Laden led an extremist group, I can't help but worry about what fighting hate with hate will do. I appreciated the Facebook posts last night that expressed unease, those that would not celebrate in the death of someone and the various postings out of the book of Ezekiel:


‎"Say to them, 'As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways...'" Ezekiel 33:11

For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live! Ezekiel 18:32

Don't get me wrong - I love AMERICA! I love what it stands for and I am terribly grateful for those serving for my country - for me!

I suppose being on a huge campus with people from all over the world, and probably through the help of my friends who have some great worldly perspectives, my eyes have been opened to a bit more beyond these wonderful shores of ours. Yesterday at the Wesley Foundation at Purdue, we dedicated a peace pole that sits outside our building. This pole has a message of peace written on it in all different languages. We have been recently reaching out to other religions and have had some great interactions with both Muslims and Jews. Yesterday was just the same. Someone offered a traditional Muslim prayer asking for peace and we ended the dedication singing a Jewish song for peace. Again, talk about timing?

The idea of peace has been resurfacing in my life a lot recently. My last post I talked about the words of my grandmother and how they impacted me during this time of transition for me - "Grant me Peace and Contentment," has been her daily prayer all her life. Also yesterday at the last Wesley service, Pastor Lana preached on peace while "Rethinking Evangelism." Evangelism is not always necessarily standing on the street corner holding signs or going out on trips to bring people to Christ. Lots of HORRIBLE things have been done in the name of Evangelism that I, as a Christian, disagree with.

"The Gospel in one word is Love," is a lyric from a song my dad used to sing when leading various worship services. "Love thy neighbor as thyself. Love. Love. Love." I wish the world would unite in singing this as a round together. Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, Atheist, Agnostic or whatever - at least practice peace and love. While I personally believe it comes from God and the ultimate form of love was shown through Jesus Christ and his sacrifice for anyone who will accept it, right now, I'd just settle for a little love.