This past week I witnessed God in motion, again. A friend
who had such a passion for life that he made it infectious, passed away. He
left behind a wife and family as their hearts had to release their grasp and
allow him to slip into the arms of Jesus. His room was made ready in the Father’s
mansion, and is no longer confined to a chair. The broken hearts of his family
will remain broken for a long time, yet through the grief, a time will come
when they realize that his chains are gone. Letting go is hard, and although we
see an end coming, we can never really prepare for its’ arrival. I speak from
experience knowing that the rest of their lives, and his new life in Heaven
will change many things. I lean on the word in the Bible that tells me that God
has a plan for each of us. Jeremiah 29:11-12 NCV tells us” I say this because I
know what I am planning for you”, says the Lord.” I have good plans for you,
not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future. Then you will
call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you”.
My wife and I had the honor of water baptizing our daughter
this past Sunday. She had given her life over to Jesus after many years of
searching for the peace and promise that only God could provide. After
listening to her testimony at our church service, we saw how raw and real that
a transformation can be when we ask Jesus into our lives. In her now is a new
life, a new beginning. She was so brave to share her soul with us and be the
disciple that God asks us to be in Matthew 28:19-20. She has now been given a
glimpse of the plan that God has for her, so the rest of her life will be much
different than her previous years.
So too, it will be for my friends’ family. In time, God will
reveal the plan He had for their loved one. Perhaps it was to inspire acts of
kindness, or to lend themselves to a cause dear to his heart. Time alone to
grieve a loss, and also to celebrate a life well lived will eventually give way
to understanding. As our daughter celebrates a new life in Jesus, so shall my
friend celebrate his new life in eternity with Him. Perhaps we should
spend the rest of our lives believing in the Master’s plan for us.
Mike Shindruk
www.mastershandministry.blogspot.com
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