Pain comes in loss, but if we never loved then we would not understand the value of what was had lost.Love places value, it brings joy, hope, excitement, it creates wonderful memories. Love also causes us to be vulnerable, experience hurt, it can cause us to fear loss. However, love can cause us to become sacrificial of our own wants, needs, desires, dreams, plans, we becoming willing to do whatever it takes for another person.
This week I have experienced loss, the passing of my Oma (grandmother). The picture attached is of us celebrating her birthday many years ago, one of the many happy memories we have. Living in another country the past 11 years though, I have not been as close to her as in the past. Life becomes full of activity and doing. We forget to grab moments to connect and allow days, weeks, months and then years to go by without realizing. Then suddenly there is no option to connect, they have gone. Opportunities have passed, they cannot be regained. We grieve, we hurt, but I have learnt we can’t live in regret or we become paralyzed in that moment. Rather, we must reassess, realign our hearts, reconnect with those who are with us. We need to express the love and value we have for those around us.
John 3:16 in the Bible says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life.”
God wants an eternal connection with us so much that He sacrificed the most precious thing He had.
As a parent, or if you are not a parent, think about your parents and you, what would that take for a child to be given in exchange for another’s life. The love it would take for another to go through such loss. To have to choose one over the other. Let’s be honest, I don’t know if I could do it. Yet the love I feel from my Heavenly Father because He did, I cannot do enough to show my gratitude.
I may never have time on earth with my Oma again, but because I had family that spoke to her about Jesus, I know she made a personal connection with her Heavenly Father and because of that I will see her again. This helps in the grief, it brings joy and hope in what can often be a hopeless situation.
This week I have thought about those who I have allowed too much time to lapse between contact. Those that may be struggling with life that I need to encourage, I have stopped to allow God to whisper names into my heart that He needs reached.
I encourage you to take a moment to send a message, an email or pick up the phone and tell someone they matter.
Angela's Blog 