because I live.

Mach 1, 2011

Sunshine.  Warmth.

Stands in stark contrast to the wintery cold that hung in the air just days ago.  To the frost on my windshield and chill in my bones.

Now I see golden-light and feel the way the soft breeze meets my bare arms and feet, an unexpected but warmly-welcomed sensation.

Warmth.

I forget.  Forget that it’s coming.  Forget that there’s more.  Get trapped in snow and ice and heaviness.  Feel like that’s all there ever is.

And then this day comes.  This glorious day.  It catches me off guard, fills my heart with joy, reminds me that hope exists.

There is HOPE. When you’re hurting, when you’re wondering, when you’re seeking, when you’re waiting.

The Lord says in John 14: “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you…Because I live, you also will live.”  We will never stay where we are for very long.  Christ has made us His and given us life in His name.  He is always faithful and good.  So we have Him and eternity to look forward to.

Not a life of worldly pleasures that are fleeting and fade all too quickly.  Not a life of riches and power and success.  But a life spent knowing Him and making Him known.  Seeing His beauty all around us, loving and being loved.  Giving grace as we have received the greatest grace.

Because the grass withers and the flower fades, and so do we.  Our lives are a breath.  And when we shrink it down to those terms, it becomes clear that most things aren’t worth living (or dying) for.  Christ, only.