Patiently Waiting...

As many of your know, my father-in-law passed away this Christmas Eve after a yearlong battle with cancer.  The way he and my mother-in-law chose to worship and glorify God through their pain was truly an inspiration and lesson for all of us.  

One of the challenges my husband and I faced was explaining to Ridley why Grandpa wasn't here anymore.  They were buddies and spent a lot of time together.  We debated about how much he could understand and how much we should say.  In the end we decided to tell him that Grandpa went to heaven with Jesus where he won't feel sick anymore.  We also told him we would see Grandpa again someday when we were all in heaven together.  This seemed to satisfy him.  

At first, when we were on our way to Grandma and Grandpa's house he would say, "Will Grandpa be there?"  We would remind him that Grandpa is with Jesus in heaven.  Then he would say, "Grandpa went to heaven AGAIN?"  It seemed that he was waiting for Grandpa to get back, as if he was just on a short vacation.  After several weeks, he stopped saying that.  In fact he started saying, "We are just going to Grandma's because Grandpa is in heaven."   

In the car this week, Ridley said, "We are just going to Grandma's because Grandpa isn't back yet."  My initial reaction was pity, because I realized Ridley didn't understand that Grandpa wasn't coming back.  Then I almost felt that I should correct him, so he didn't have his hopes dashed when too much time went by and Grandpa was still in heaven.  

But then as quickly as these thoughts entered, a third thought flooded my mind...Ridley is right!

When we have Jesus Christ as our Savior, one who paid the price for our sins so we can enter into eternity with him, we have a promise to hold on to.  The promise is that we will see Jesus face to face and we will be reunited with our loved ones who also knew him.  If we believe that, truly believe that, we should all say, "Grandpa isn't back yet."  It is just a matter of time before we go on to heaven ourselves or Jesus returns for his church in the rapture.  Either way, we will see our loved ones again soon.  

Life is so very short.  James 4:14 says, "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes."  We spend our short time on so many things that won't last into eternity.  We rush around stressed out, working hard to make money, using entertainment to clear our minds and stuff to fill our emptiness.  And none of it will last.  In fact we will leave it all behind to rot.  But what will live on will be our relationship with Jesus and the things we do to show him we love him.  Our obedience to him will last.  Spreading his good news will last.  The ways we love and serve our neighbors will last.

The Bible says, "For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay." (Habakkuk 2:3)  When you are grieving the loss of a loved one or going through a storm in this life, it may feel that time drags on.  It may feel like God's timing is wrong.  But keep your eyes on Jesus and his promises.  Keep Ridley's outlook on life, even if it seems naive.  Rest and say, "Grandpa isn't here yet."