Saturday, February 11, 2023

Carried On His Shoulders

  


I pray that you will bear with me, as I  share some of thoughts concerning my sister's homegoing to Heaven on February 13th.  I tend to process grief and my faith thoughts through writing.  In my family, as most of you know, I had a sister who valiently fought her cancer for over three years 

Nancy not only valiently fought the cancer, but she was a wonderful testimony the entire time to her love for the Lord and her belief in His goodness.  She kept the faith even when she was enduring intense pain,  She was a wonderful example of patience and trust in the Lord to her children, grandchildren, and siblings.  So was and is Milo, her husband, who was a faithful husband and caregiver to Nancy those years that she was fighting cancer.  Her entire marriage to her husband, Milo, was a walk of faithfulness to the Lord.  Milo and Nancy also loved their music ministry behind prison walls.  Many prison inmates further learned to love them, their music, and their Lord.

Above is a song that my sister, Nancy, and her husband, Milo, sang about their walk of faith that we just talked about.  I first posted this song more than two years ago.  Recently I ran across this song that they sang again.  It can be found on Youtube. The name of the song is "Shoulders."   Listen to the song above, and be blessed and encouraged.  It talks about their trust in the Lord to carry them on His shoulders through the struggles.  

The struggles were indeed difficult for them at the time that they sang the song.  Those trials became even more intense as the days and years progressed throughout Nancy's disease.  Yet God did carry them both on His shoulders the whole time,  And now I picture Nancy cuddled in the Lord's arms and singing her heart out with the saints in heaven.

Nancy and I had some wonderful faith talks in the last years.  In the last days I have thought that it would be so wonderful, if Nancy and I could talk one more time.  I would say to her, "Tell me, what is Heaven like?"  I imagine she would say that is is much more wonderful than she can share with me, and that I need to just walk by faith until my day arrives to go home to Heaven to be with Jesus and all the saints.

There are many of you readers who may be going through some deep trials.  Some of you are going through cancer or other serious illnesses. Others of you may be caregivers for a love one who is sick.  This too is a difficult path to tread.  Some of you may be suffering financial issues or family break-up.    Perhaps there is another trial you are enduring.

If you are a child of God, however, you know that the Lord is with you and even carrying you through it all.  He carries us through weakness, sickness, and brokenness.  He carries us on His shoulders like a Daddy might carry a young child who is weak and weary.  Your help comes from the Lord.

Sometimes when the trials are overwhelming and many, it is difficult to see that the Lord is with us and helping us.  At those moments we must learn to not listen to our emotions which don't always tell us the truth.  We need to listen instead to the truth of God's Word which promises that the Lord is always our help and will never forsake us.  We don't always have to see it immediately to believe it, because it is true that God is with us.  Our help comes from Him in His perfect timing!

 If you have not already done so, listen to the song above, and be blessed and encouraged.

Your Divine Valentine

 (Forgive me for once again republishing a post from the past in a slightly edited version.  I think it is a message worth repeating again, as Tuesday will be Valentine's Day.)


Dear caregiver, do you ever feel the sorrow of things lost?  Do you ever miss the way things were in the past with your loved one for whom you are caring?  Does the approach of holidays such as Valentine's day make you feel melancholy and sad? Or perhaps did your loved one pass on to Eternity?  Even though new love has entered my life, I remember those feelings.

During those moments of sadness remember that the Lord loves you with an infinite love.  He in effect is your Divine Valentine.  He is sufficient.  He alone can give you all that you need.  Below is a poem called Your Divine Valentine:


Your Divine Valentine

A Valentine may play a love song for you, but God sings you the sweetest love song in the universe.  (Zephaniah 3:17)

A Valentine may give you flowers, but God sent you the most beautiful rose of all, Jesus.
(Song of Solomon 2:1)

A Valentine may bring you chocolate, but God provides you with something even sweeter, His Word.  (Psalm 119:103)

A Valentine may love you for a lifetime,but God loved you before you were born and will love you for all eternity,
(Jeremiah 31:3)