Devotionals

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Recently I buried my brother. Today I start a new journey. The only family I have now is a sister, a husband, children and grandchildren. All the people who were significant in my life as a child are gone except my sister.

After losing so many important people in my life I have learned one thing: the one person I can depend on never leaving me is God. In Joshua 1:5 we find these words, “No one will be able to stand up against you during your lifetime. I will be with you in the same way I was with Moses. I won’t desert you or leave you.” Although they did not choose to leave, their time on earth came to an end. I have fond memories and images in my mind of them, but they are not with me. Putting my hope and trust in them and thinking they would be here forever is an assumption we all make about our families; myself included.

When it comes down to it though, people are called away; their journey ends. We find ourselves alone sometimes and that can be troublesome and lonely. But when we have God in our lives, this journey can take a different course. We can choose to stay in our grief and be a lonely person lost in the past or we can choose to start a new journey with God taking us by the hand and leading the way.

When we have God in our lives we have hope of seeing our families again. We trust God on this new journey knowing our time has not yet come and we must carry on doing those things He has called us to do.

My brother was a basketball player and I cheered him on when we were in school. Now I am playing in a game called life and I know He is cheering me on. Hebrews 10:24 reminds us, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” I am sure there will be times God will allow my brother to encourage me by some memories I experience, a circumstance that reminds me of him or something that he said to me in the past will come to my mind just when I need it most.

May family was full of life and love and the thing they would want for me is to live my life to the fullest and to love those around me and those that I will meet on this journey. My pep squad has gained a new member and they will be cheering me on with one voice stronger.

Yes they are gone, but not forgotten. Memories hold lives together even when those lives are apart.

So if you are like me and have recently lost someone and you have faith in God then embrace this new journey. As Christians we have hope that we will see them someday. We can trust God in this. “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14:3

If you don’t know God and are struggling with this new journey on which you find yourself--it isn’t too late. Ask God to take you by the hand and lead you down the path of faith. Put your trust and hope in Him today. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.“ Life is what you allow God to make it. It is your choice. The journey will still be hard and difficult at times, but you will have someone walking along side you who will never leave you nor forsake you. People will leave our lives, but God will always be there encouraging us. He has sent a Helper to help us along this journey. John 14:16 reminds us, “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever…”

I hope you choose to travel with me down this path on this new journey. Let’s keep those we love alive in our memories and images, but at the same time let’s move forward in our faith, trusting God to hold us close and keeping us on the right path.


Prayer:
Thank you dear God for the time I was allowed to spend with my brother. Help me keep his memories alive and his image in my mind. It is my desire to honor my family by living life, loving others and serving You until my journey on this earth is done. Help me as I teach my daughters and their families to live life fully and love others just as my parents taught me. May we build memories together while I am on this journey with them. Thank you for Your love, Your presence in my life, and thank you that one more person has joined my pep squad. May I always be aware of their encouraging words as I go through life. Amen.

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