The Beauty of Death

Romans 6:23 says: "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord."

Just look around you in the fall.  What is it about autumn that everyone loves so much?  It's the beauty in the colors, the smells, the cooler weather.  The beauty that we see all around us is caused by "death".  The leaves are dying and falling off of the trees and even in doing so, they are beautiful.

This is what "death" is like for the Christian, the person that has been "born again", through placing their faith in the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Jesus said that those who believe in Him will not see death!  Death is only the separation of our spirit from this body of flesh.   (John 8:51,52)  Just as the leaves die and fall from the tree in a splash of glory, so shall it be when we leave this "body of death" and open our eyes in the presence of our Lord and Savior.

There is "Beauty in death".   

Fragrance

My husband and I are contemplating building a log home in the near future. I have a folder with different styles and information about the red cypress that the logs are hewn from. One thing I read made me think about some other things. It says this: "People with respiratory problems have sought out Tidewater Red Cypress as a relief from modern day processed woods, containing toxins, glues, and numerous other chemicals. Our cypress is free from any man-made chemical treatments. Cypress imparts neither taste nor odor to people or products coming into contact with it. (Taken from the BK Cypress information folder).

These logs are just gorgeous and the homes built from them are just gorgeous! But wouldn't you expect to smell that wonderful "wood" smell when walking into such a gorgeous all wood home?

I thought it strange that there is no smell at all from these.

I'm afraid that many times, we Christians are like these beautiful red cypress logs! Nice to look at, but we really don't leave much of an influence behind ...... nothing that would alert anyone to the fact that we had a "fragrant message of God's grace, love and mercy" to impart to the hearers.

This reminded me of something I read in a "Voice of the Martyrs" book. It said this:
(and this isn't an exact quote since I can't remember it exactly)

"A Christian should be like the redwood cedar. When it is hewn down by the axe, it leaves its fragrance on the metal of the axe that cut it down and yet does no harm in return."

There is also an old poem that I have always loved which says this:

A Persian fable says: One day.....

A wanderer found a lump of clay;

So redolent of sweet perfume,

It's odor scented all the room.

"Who art thou?" was his quick demand.

"Art thou some gem from Samarcand,

Or spikenard in this rude disguise,

Or other costly merchandise?"

"Nay! I am but a lump of clay!"

"Then whence the wondrous sweetness- say?"

"Friend, if the secret I disclose

I have been dwelling with the rose."

(Author Unknown)

I pray that as I go through each day, that this "lump of clay" in which I dwell, will spill forth the wonderful fragrance and sweetness of Jesus to all that I meet. Of course, this will directly depend upon the amount of time I spend in His presence, won't it?

I Am A Kept Woman

This was sent to me in an Email and I just have to pass it on to you all.

I AM A KEPT WOMAN


You see, there were a few times when I thought I would lose my mind,

but GOD kept me sane. (Isa. 26:3)

There were times when I thought I could go no longer,

but the LORD kept me moving. (Gen 28:15)

At times, I've wanted to lash out at those whom I felt had done me wrong,
but the LORD kept my mouth shut. (Psa. 13)

Sometimes, I think the money just isn't enough,

but GOD has helped me to keep the lights on, the water on, the car paid, the house paid, etc.., (Matt. 6:25 -34)

When I thought I would fall, HE kept me up.

When I thought I was weak, HE kept me strong! (I Pet. 5:7, Matt. 11:28-30)

I could go on and on and on, but I'm sure you hear me!

I'm blessed to be "kept."

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All day today, I have been walking down "Memory Lane", watching old, old family videos that my Sister kindly recorded onto DVDs for me while I was up there visiting. I watched as our family's lives unfolded before me on the TV screen. My siblings when they were very young and carefree and my parents and grandparents when they were young and struggling to care for and raise their family. Most of them are gone now and thankfully, I know they are in Heaven with Jesus awaiting for us all to be reunited again someday. But I miss them terribly and all the wonderful times we had growing up with them. My Grandparents and Aunt and Uncle lived next door to us kids as we were growing up and we saw them every day and they were an integral part of our lives. I saw my children again when they were babies and a pang went through me as I realized how much I miss those days when they were all home with us and we could talk with them every day and watch them and laugh with them and read them stories before bedtime. How quickly those days have passed!! If I could go back, I would hug them more, laugh with them more and pay more attention to each precious word and thing they said and did! I know everyone says that, but why don't we realize this when we're young and raising our families? Why do we let the daily struggles interrupt us the way they do and steal the sheer JOY of raising our children??

How short this life really is when you think about it and realize how quickly our lives pass through this time and space and our babies slip through our hands and become adults with children of their own and struggle daily with life's problems and concerns just as we did and how quickly that innocent JOY seeps out of their lives! That purity of childhood!

Oh what I wouldn't give to have those days back again if even for a short period.

On the old movies, I watched as my brother and sisters played in the grass and acted silly and wondered: What happens to us in life to take away all of that joy and carefree spirit that we had as children? How soon we allow the daily problems and sorrows to come into us and fill us up and take away that "innocent" and carefree unadulterated JOY that we had as we ran through the grass and laughed and teased each other!

I see my siblings now and compare to back then on those old films and was filled with sorrow for all the joy that has fled from their lives now. Oh they'd say they're happy if someone asked them, and I suppose they are to some extent, but if you really look into their eyes and really listen to the tone of their voices and see their faces in moments when they don't perceive that anyone is watching... it's there: the loss of innocence and joy. Somehow adulthood has taken over and that carefree spirit of childhood has disappeared. Why can't we ever get that back?

If it weren't for the Lord and His keeping power, I feel that today I would be overcome by sadness and loss; loss of all the wonderful, carefree times that we had and shared in that small house that we grew up in. Loss of all the loved ones that are no longer with us. Loss.... the empty space left behind by their absence. They are missed; and so is the joy of childhood and innocence that is so free of the worries and concerns and struggles of this life.

Thank God, He sent Jesus to pay the price of all of our losses and we can have the confidence of knowing that He will return someday, and I hope it's soon, to take us from the struggles and cares of this life and He will restore that innocent JOY in His presence!

Revelation 22:12

"And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last."