Gifts

 I woke this morning with the weight of grief heavy on my heart.  My longing for Ezra, intense. Like a physical pain. I was in need of relief and I remembered the glimpses of heaven the Lord has given me. The gifts he has given me. He has also answered prayer and revealed more of his love to me, which is also a precious gift to a weary soul. All gifts I would not have received without the gift of my little Ezra’s life. I wanted to share some of those gifts here, as a resource for others experiencing the loss of a loved one or for someone going through spiritual turmoil. And just because I like to share.

When I say glimpses of heaven, I am not referring to some sort of vision or experience. (though I may long for that) I am referring to the different ways I have been able to picture heaven, or see in a new way how we are bound for heaven. I have seen this through scripture, a precious song or hymn, or  the insights of another.  These things are treasures to me and truly gifts from the Lord. They provide relief in the wake of this storm.

Not all of them may stick out to you as some of heaven being revealed, because I think the Lord sometimes uses something to stir in the heart of one person, while he may not use that particular thing to stir the heart of another. Not because He loves one more than the other, but because His love for us is individual and unique to each one of His sons and daughters.

Here are some of these gifts:

 

 

 

 

My son, Levi. His uninhibited joy and laughter lets me see some of the pure joy that Ezra must be experiencing in heaven. And since they are brothers and look alike, I feel as though I can see some of what Ezra will look like as he grows and knows nothing but the comfort of my womb and the joys of heaven.

 

This one is currently my favorite. A line from the song “The Glories of Calvary” by Steve and Vikki Cook

And Your saints below            (that’s us)

Join with your saints above   (those in heaven)

Rejoicing in the Risen Lamb

Steven and I realized when we were reading through this song one night, that those words mean we still get to do something with Ezra. And that is praise God! They are always worshiping him up there, so anytime I worship our Lord, Ezra and I are doing that together. Praise Jesus! I still get to do something with my baby while I’m on earth. Now I do not have much hope that I can be anything but an emotional mess during worship Sunday morning.  But now you know that some of those tears are happy tears.

 

The song “love is here” by Tenth Avenue North. It provides such a strong picture of Christ’s love for us. Here is the first verse and chorus:

Come to the waters, you who thirst and you'll thirst no more.

Come to the father, you who work and you'll work no more.

And all you who labor in vain and to the broken and shamed:

 

Love is here.

Love is now.

Love is pouring from

His hands, from his brows.

Love is near, it satisfies.

Streams of mercy flowing from his side.

Because love is here.

 

A quote from C.S. Lewis’s “The Last Battle”

But for them, it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story, which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.

 

Revelation 7:15-17. These three verses are what have become very special to me, but really Rev. 7:9-17 is all very comforting as well. The passage is titled; “The Great Multitude in White Robes”.

they are before the throne of God

    and serve him day and night in his temple;

and he who sits on the throne

    will shelter them with his presence.

‘Never again will they hunger;

    never again will they thirst.

The sun will not beat down on them,

    nor any scorching heat.

 For the Lamb at the center of the throne

    will be their shepherd;

he will lead them to springs of living water.

    ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’

 

This Quote by Amy Carmichael. The underlined portion is what really speaks to me.

Sorrow is one of the things that are lent, not given.

A thing that is lent may be taken away;

A thing that is given is not taken away.

Joy is given.

Sorrow is lent.

We are not our own, we are bought with a price (I Cor 6:19-20).

[Our sorrow]  is lent to us for just a little while

 that we may use it for eternal purposes.

 Then it will be taken away

 and everlasting joy will be our Father's gift to us.

The Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces (Isaiah 25:8)

 

Another quote from C.S. Lewis

If I find in myself a desire which no experience on earth can satisfy,

 the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.

Anytime I can be reminded that we were truly not made for this world of sin, I feel hope.

 

Hosea 6:3

"Oh that we might know the LORD! Let us press on to know Him! Then He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of the dawn or the coming of rains in early spring."

 

The last verse of “Jesus I my cross have taken”.

 Haste thee on from grace to glory, armed by faith and winged by prayer;

Heaven’s eternal day’s before thee, God’s own hand shall guide thee there.

Soon shall close thy earthly mission, soon shall pass thy pilgrim days;

Hope shall change to glad fruition, faith to sight, and prayer to praise.

 

 

The hymn “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee” by Henry Van Dyke. The first and last verse in particular.

 

Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of love;

Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee, opening to the sun above.

Melt the clouds of sin and sadness, drive the dark of doubt away;

Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day.

 

All Thy works with joy surround Thee, earth and heaven reflect Thy rays,

Stars and angels sing around Thee, center of unbroken praise.

Field and forest, vale and mountain, flowery meadow, flashing sea,

Chanting bird and flowing fountain, call us to rejoice in Thee.

 

Thou art giving and forgiving, ever blessing, ever blest,

Wellspring of the joy of living, ocean depth of happy rest!

Thou our Father, Christ, our Brother-- all who live in love are Thine;

Teach us how to love each other, lift us to the joy divine.

 

Mortals, join the mighty chorus which the morning stars began;

Father love is reigning o'er us, brother love binds man to man.

Ever singing, march we onward, victors in the midst of strife,

Joyful music leads us sunward in the triumph song of life.

Joyful music leads us sunward in the triumph song of life.

 

These are just a few of the encouragements that most readily come to mind.  The things that help me get through each day.

I’m sure I will share more later. I can’t seem to help it. ;)