... so yesterday we were celebrating Jesus... the fact that He is risen, that after willingly giving His life, as payment for our sins, He indeed rose again from the dead, finally defeating death... making reconciliation possible between the one who believes in Christ's sacrifice and God the Father...remembering what He has done for us and thanking Him for it by praising and worshipping Him...
"ascribing" worth by coming together as a congregation and lifting our voices in praise to Him..
a great message from our pastor explaining what it means to have that relationship with Christ... inviting Him into our hearts, surrendering to Him, admitting that without Him we are nothing but broken sinners, never out of our own strength able to be good enough to fulfill the laws God put in place....
asking Him for forgiveness and pledging to follow Him from now into eternity...
today I was on the phone again with my mother... the last few days she has been rather troubled and sad and alone.. I have never seen her cry and now I have heard her cry every day... she is processing everything now that she has fully understood what has happened and what this all means... my brother hasn't been there for the last few days and this has left her feeling alone... I think she has never been forced to look at life the way she has to now....
I am thanking God for allowing this in her life right now... my heart is breaking for her but I can see what God is doing... on the phone today I was sharing yesterday's sermon... not that I have not shared my faith with her before... but she has never been in such a desperate place... almost dying and facing something as scary as cancer will do that for you...
I am thankful we have this kind of a relationship... we have always discussed deep issues... shared what is going on inside... never has my mother been as receptive .... reading Psalm 23 to her over the phone... from the "Luther Bible Translation" how precious... I booked another flight .. going to spend her birthday with her... she is so looking forward to this and I am so blessed...
I love her and I am thanking God for giving us this closeness.... I was telling her today about the feelings I had for her when she was lying there so helpless .... how I called her what I would usually just call my kids.... and she cried... this time because of the intensity of the love communicated through sharing this ...
in all this, God is turning what was difficult and hard into something good.... He died for me... will my mother believe for the first time that He thought of her when He hang on that cross????
That is my prayer today....
