We have been praying for a little girl at a neighboring church who finally lost her battle to leukemia this morning. She was surrounded by her loved ones, church family, and the hospital staff. The doctors had told her family multiple times that she only had a few weeks left. But this time, the doctors were right.
When she was taken to the hospital two weeks ago, her dad told her pastor that this was it. She wasn’t coming home.
This little girl had thousands of people praying for her. She had rallied so many times before.
I can’t imagine what this must feel like for her parents.
Absolute devastation.
The pain, sadness, grief, anger, relief, loss, frustration, helplessness…
Absolute devastation.
We have been praying for a little girl who was received into glory this morning. She was born as a twin, but her brother never made it. She was the only one that made it through the birthing process. This morning, she was able to reunite with her twin brother for the first time since the womb!
We had been praying that she experience an incredible reunion with her loved ones, but most of all, with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. She loved Jesus, but most importantly Jesus loved her. She took such comfort and strength in knowing that her short life here on earth was not the end of her. That God created her for eternity, and because Jesus had died for her sins, she would live forever in glory.
I can’t even begin to imagine what that must have been like. The reunion with her twin brother. She is in the presence of Jesus! She is surrounded by all the saints who have gone before her. All she knows and experiences is glory. That’s her reality! Wow! She is with Jesus!!!
She had rallied multiple times before, but this time…this time she was ready to go home to her twin brother, to her Lord and Savior Jesus. She was ready. She was so ready to be done with physical pain and misery. She was so ready for glory.
Absolute hope.
The joy, elation, relief, exaltation, freedom, wholeness, peace…
Absolute hope.
In a world without Jesus, these are exclusive. Death is the ultimate absolute devastation because it’s the end. One can’t have hope and devastation at the same time. They are an oxymoron.
Not so with Jesus. Even with Jesus, death still sucks. Death still hurts. The pain and loss is still absolutely devastating. But because of Jesus, there is absolute hope.
Hope doesn’t negate nor cancel the devastation. It’s just that devastation can’t negate nor cancel hope. They are both there. Absolutely. Completely. Hope and Devastation.
But in time, hope overcomes the devastation. Hope sustains. Hope lifts. Hope abounds.
Absolute hope.
Praxis: Faith in Action 