God Is In Control?

“God is in control.” What does that mean? I have heard people say that. Does it mean He controls everything? I don’t think so. He is not controlling what I am typing right now. If He is, He is not a very good typist. He allows me to make my own mistakes, and I make my share. I can’t cop out by saying, “The Devil made me do it;” nor can I say, “God made me do it.”

When our children were very young I felt that, as parents, we were in control, but only on a limited basis even then. We tried to control the environment they were in. We kept it safe, we kept it warm, we controlled what they ate, where they could go. But we couldn’t control when they cried, though we tried to comfort them and respond to their needs. We couldn’t control every action they made or every word they said.

We are finite. God is infinite, yet He chooses not to control everything we do or say. Sometimes it FEELS like He doesn’t control what happens to us’ tho’, in reality, He permits or directs everything – but always for a purpose. God’s ways are indeed higher than our ways. I don’t propose to know the mind of God; but I do know some things about God. I know God is good and He works for good for us even in this fallen world. His love for us is beyond understanding, yet in His wisdom and love He does not protect us from every painful thing in this life.

Bad things do happen to good people. Experiencing the death of a child cannot be construed as a good thing; but, even there, God is present to bring good out of even the worst of things. Jesus’ death was painful for Him and painful for His mother; but His cruel death was not the last word. God turned things around.

The death of our daughter, Crystal, devastated us. We were crushed by the most painful experience of our lives. Our hearts were broken. God did not intervene and physically heal our daughter; but He has restored her to even greater health and we will see her again. Eleven years later we are still here. We have survived. Life has gone on for us. There is still sorrow and pain from our loss; but we have also experienced new joys and blessings. I don’t have all the answers; but my faith still holds to a sovereign God who finds a way to give us freedom, unconditional love and His Presence in the worst circumstances of our lives.

When life seems out of control, remember – there is Someone Who is in control! And, He has promised to provide comfort and some healing in this life. The ultimate good He brings will not come until the next life when God makes all things new! In the meantime, we can count on Him “never to leave us nor forsake us.”

Keepsakes

At a recent support group meeting we were asked to bring something that was a keepsake belonging to our deceased loved one. Someone brought a special picture. Someone else brought an item their loved one had made, while another brought the locks of hair they had swept up after cutting their son’s hair shortly before he was killed in an automobile accident.

We all have keepsakes that remind us of our deceased loved ones. These keepsakes are actual, physical things. But there is a keepsake you can’t hold in your hand that may be a more precious treasure—the keepsake of our memories.

Our physical keepsakes eventually deteriorate over time, be it a picture, or craft or whatever.  That is also true of memories, but as Ashley Davis Prend points out:

“It is true that memories become dimmer. But it’s also true that they persist. Your memories become like valued archives in your mind. Your loved one’s life cannot be erased, because it lives in the past, it lives in your heart… The memories will come at expected moments and unexpected ones. Some will bring you sorrow and some will bring you joy.”*

Though these memories may be archived we aren’t easily able to separate them into those that bring only sorrow and those which bring only joy. Most often there is a connection, so that, you can’t seem to have one without the other.

This the way I described it in the book my wife and I wrote:

“Joy and laughter were scarce in our home after Crystal’s death. On those occasions when joy would trickle in, it was often followed by a torrent of grief as the painful memories would flood in. Usually the good memories were overwhelmed by the realization that Crystal could no longer share those memories with us. One of the biggest hurts is that no longer can we say, ‘Crystal, remember when…?’ Yet, Crystal continues to live on, not only in our lives but in other areas as well.’’**

After eleven years the occasions of joy tend to be more than a trickle and though the painful memories still come, they seldom come in as a flood. Joy and sorrow still get mixed together at times, but that is not unlike life itself.

I pray that as time goes by in your loss, your memories of joy will increase and the painful ones will diminish. Those of us who have experience the death of a loved one know that we never get over it, but God helps us to get through it.

* Ashley Davis Prend, Transcending Loss, Berkley Books, NY

** Don and Iris Allison, Until It’s Crystal Clear

Another Anniversary

Recently I wrote a blog, “An Anniversary I Don’t Celebrate.” It was the 11th anniversary of our daughter, Crystal’s (36), death from leukemia. I hesitated to even call it an anniversary, but I didn’t know what else to call it.

There is another anniversary I do celebrate this week. It is our 54th wedding anniversary. I celebrate that God brought Iris into my life and that we fell in love and got married. God has truly blessed our lives in many ways. Without the blessing of our marriage we never would have had Crystal.

I am grateful for two wonderful children and four super grandchildren. Crystal is no longer with us in person but I am so grateful for the thirty-six years we had with her.

I don’t think there will be anniversaries in heaven because there will be no dimension of time.  Heaven will be one grand continuous celebration. It is something I look forward to with great anticipation. Here some anniversaries are joyful, some are not. The Bible says that, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” I Corinthians 2:9.

Iris and I will celebrate our wedding anniversary this week and we will reflect on our lives together. We will rejoice for the many blessings and happy times we have shared together. We will no doubt remember the birth of our children and the blessing they have been. In the midst of our celebration we will also be reminded that Crystal is no longer with us. That will be painful, but we will also be glad that God brought us together and blessed our marriage and enabled us to share the good times and support each other in the difficult times.

This reminds me of a few verses from a poem I wrote for Iris a few years ago:

When I see you crying

I know you are so sad.

It’s something I can understand,

Because I am her dad.

 

I cry for you and you for me.

We are her dad and mother.

The only way we hope to live,

Is holding to each other.

 

Then one day we both will join

Our daughter with no tear.

There is no doubt in our mind,

For this is Crystal Clear.

An Anniversary I Don't Celebrate

Today (August 1) is an anniversary for me, but it is not one I celebrate. I even hesitate to call it an anniversary, but I don’t know what else to call it. You see, eleven years ago today our precious daughter, Crystal, died from leukemia at age thirty-six. I was with her in the hospital as she passed from this life to the next. As I have thought about this today, even though I do not celebrate, there are things for which I am thankful:

I am thankful for the presence of God and His comfort through His Spirit who abides in me.

I am thankful for my wife, Iris, who has walked together with me through our grief journey these past eleven years, and I am thankful for family and friends who have given their support.

I am also thankful for the opportunity I now have of directing the BASIS ministry. For some who may not be familiar with BASIS it stands for Brothers and Sisters In Support, and it is a ministry to bereaved parents, parents who have experienced the loss of children of various ages.

I was thankful today as several people connected to BASIS sat around the lunch table at our office and gave me the opportunity to share some thoughts and remembrances; but more importantly, they gave me the opportunity to thank them for their love and support through my journey of grief.

Thankfulness is not just a blessing to the one receiving thanks but it is also a blessing to the one who gives the thanks. Think how awful it would be if there was no one to thank for the comfort, encouragement and support YOU have received along your grief journey! Most of all, thank our God, Who is…the God of all comfort… [II Corinthians 1:3].

On second thought, there is a reason to celebrate and we did celebrate at Crystal's funeral. We celebrated her life and we celebrated her entrance to heaven where she resides with her Lord and Savior, Jesus. We also celebrate that, one day, we will be reunited with Crystal forever!!!

"Good Grief"

I don’t know how that expression came to be, but at first I thought, “Those two words don’t seem to go together.” The expression is often used humorously, when someone pretends that a situation is more serious than it really is: “Good grief. It’s only a tiny scratch. We don’t need to call an ambulance.”

In the Charlie Brown cartoon, “good grief” seems to be the favorite expression Linus and Lucy use to express frustration.

Grief has been defined as: deep sorrow, misery, sadness, anguish, distress. It is often an exclamation that expresses surprise, alarm, dismay or some other, usually, negative emotion. Someone expressed grief as, “the feeling of reaching out for someone who’s always been there, only to discover when I need her [or him] one more time, she’s no longer there.” These things certainly don’t seem – good.

The ability to grieve over a loss can be a healthy and helpful thing, a good thing. You may have heard the expression, “Everyone grieves in their own way and at their own pace.” Although that is not a definition, it expresses a truth about grief. Since we all handle and process grief differently, are there some guidelines about handling grief in a healthy way so it can actually become “good”?

When we grieve the loss of a child, healthy grief:

• recognizes the great value of that child. The deeper the love and connection with the deceased, the deeper the grief or sense of loss.
• pours out your grief to God.  He always hears the cries of His children.
• asks for help from others. God doesn’t expect us to grieve alone.
• looks for blessings.  Not that God needs to bring you loss so He can bring you blessings; but God works even in the worst circumstances to bring something good. From a cross and a tomb God brought salvation and new life that is everlasting!
• finds ways to use the comfort you receive to share with others. They will be blessed and so will you.

This doesn’t mean we have to just put on a happy face in our grief. 

Paul David Trip writes:

“In times of death, Christians should be sadder than anyone else. We know how sin brought death into the world. We mourn not only for the loved one we have lost, but also for the fact that death continues to destroy. We live in a place where something that was never meant to be has become a common experience. We know how wonderful life on earth could have been.

“Yet we should also be the most hopeful of any who mourn. God brings the best out of the worst. Even in the darkest moments, we are never alone. The death and resurrection of Christ stand as a sure and reliable promise that someday death will die.” *

Embrace the truth of those words and take steps to grieve in a healthy way.  You will find that your grief truly can be GOOD!

*Paul David Trip, Grief, Finding Hope Again, New Growth Press, p.12

How Do You Make Sense Out of Tragedies?

Tragedies are a part of life here on earth. The greatest tragedy by far for me and my wife, Iris, is the death of our daughter, Crystal. She died at age 36 from leukemia in 2005.

God has made a world inhabited by imperfect human beings, human beings who make mistakes and cause accidents, human beings who are capable of evil that can injure and kill others. Hitler and Stalin were human beings who inflicted great suffering and death on millions. However, not all tragedies are accounted for by evil people or self-inflicted. As far as I know, no evil person caused Crystal to get leukemia and die at age thirty-six. As far as we know, too, Crystal did not get leukemia because of a mistake she made.

We must recognize that life consists of many factors that we have difficulty accepting or explaining. If God created everything, why is there suffering? Did God create that too? Author, E. Stanley Jones, makes a helpful observation. He says, “God has chosen to run the universe by order rather than by whim or notion. The laws are orderly because God’s mind is orderly; they are dependable because God is dependable.” [i] I agree with this statement and it helps me understand that just because we are Christians, we are not exempt from the laws of the universe that God has designed. If I fall off of a 200 foot cliff, I will crash to the earth below. Our bodies are wonderful creations but they are imperfect. They are susceptible to disease and we all have a limited life span in our current bodies

Sometimes God does intervene and rescue us from disaster, disease and even death; but even then, those interventions are temporary. However, most times it does not seem as if God does intervene with a miracle. God heals some, but not all; nor does He promise to. An absence of healing is not a sign of our lack of faith. Author Jones even suggests that when God chooses not to heal it may be a “compliment of His faith in our spiritual strength.” [ii]

God has a way, though, of turning our sunsets into sunrises. At the time the sun is setting, the hope of a sunrise sometime off in the future may not be too comforting. At the moment of the death of a loved one, the darkness of the setting sun can be so dark that the promise of another sunrise in the future, somewhere, sometime, may fall short in its power to heal our pain. This does not mean the hope of another sunrise has no power for the Christian. In fact, the hope of another sunrise, the resurrection of the dead in Christ, has great power to comfort and help us to go on.

The point here is that there is a period of darkness between sunset and sunrise. Jesus was in the tomb on Friday and the stone was rolled away on Sunday. Though, as Christians, we are sometimes overwhelmed by sorrow and grief, we know that it is not the final word. It is not the final feeling. There is, thank God, another life ahead for all believers. It is an eternal life with our Lord.

A church-school superintendent and his wife had just lost their child, an only child, and the next Sunday was Easter Sunday. The superintendent went through his duties as usual but not as usual, for there was a note of triumph and victory about it all. As the pupils walked home that day, one boy said very suddenly to his mother, “They really believe it, don’t they?”

“Believe what?” asked the mother.

“Why, the resurrection and all that?”

“Of course; we all believe it.”

“Yes,” said the boy, very thoughtfully, “but not that way; they really believe it.” [iii]

[i] E. Stanley Jones, Christ and Human Suffering  (New York, NY: The Abingdon Press, 1933), 19

[ii] Ibid., 89

[iii] Ibid., 229   

Glad For A Broken Heart?

Our daughter’s birthday is next week. We plant a tree each year to remember and honor her life. Crystal’s last birthday on earth was eleven years ago. She was thirty-six. A lot has happened in those eleven years. Last month her daughter, Robin, graduated from college and this past weekend Robin was married in a beautiful setting and ceremony. We rejoiced at both occasions; but, unfortunately for us, Crystal was not able to share those wonderful occasions with us in person and that breaks my heart. However, I am reminded of a blog I wrote some time ago. “Glad For A Broken Heart?”

Really! How can a broken heart be a good thing? On the surface that sounds morbid, abnormal, perhaps impossible. Yet, think about it for a moment. As I stood at the graveside of our precious daughter, Crystal, my heart was surely broken; and even though there has been some healing, there is a huge scar and it is still not fixed. My heart still breaks and I have come to realize that is a good thing. I'm not glad that our daughter died. I'm not glad it happened. It has been by far the most painful thing in my life; but think how tragic it would be if my heart was not broken over the death of my daughter. I am glad for the love we shared. I'm glad for the bond that held us together. I am glad for the wonderful memories. I'm glad Crystal came into our family and blessed us so much for thirty-six years, so it's only natural that I should have a broken heart when she is no longer with us. To not feel a deep loss would diminish the value of our relationship.

To love deeply also means we hurt deeply when the one we love is no longer with us. The saying, "It's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all" is in reference to love between a man and woman when one party does not return that love. In the case of me and my daughter it is not that one party does not return love but that death has brought a separation for the rest of this life. So, even though it hurts and my heart is still not fixed, I'm glad God created Crystal and that she was part of our family. I'd much rather have it this way than to think it was no big deal that my daughter died because there was no strong bond of love. I am glad I loved her deeply and she loved me, even though that's why it hurts so much.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." [John 3:16]. God's love for us is so much stronger than our love for Him or our love for each other.

God understands broken hearts and one day my heart will be completely whole and I will be reunited with my daughter whose new body will be whole! Then we will celebrate endless glorious occasions!!!

How Will We Go On?

Our family has experienced the devastating loss of our daughter, Crystal. And God has not replaced our daughter, nor will He replace your missing child. Our children are irreplaceable.  But, God has added to our family. He has added other bereaved parents to our family and, thankfully, one day all of our family, including the many bereaved parents we have met, will be united and reunited in heaven. WHAT A DAY THAT WILL BE!

Revelation 21:3-4“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away… And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’”

But “until then” what shall we do? 

Family helps greatly to make it possible to choose joy in our lives. It doesn’t mean we ignore the hardships and heartaches, but it adds something wonderful to our lives to help us keep going. One day everything will be new and perfect and eternal.

But until then... what shall we do? We find part of an answer in a song. 

Until Then*

My heart can sing when I pause to remember

A heartache here is but a stepping stone,

Along a trail that’s winding ever upward.

This troubled world is not my final Home.

Chorus:

But until then my heart will go on singing,

Until then with joy I’ll carry on,

Until the day my eyes behold the City,

Until the day God calls me Home.

This weary would with all its toil and struggle

May take its toll of misery and strife;

The soul of man is like a waiting falcon;

When it’s released, it’s destined for the skies.

Chorus

So, until that day God calls: “Don Allison, come on Home,” I will still have those moments of grief: but, I’ll keep on singing, and with the joy of the Lord, I’ll carry on. And, so will you. We will do it together!

A Mother Finds Hope and Joy in Her Journey of Grief

Chrystal Smallwood, who has lost three babies in pregnancy, shares some intimate moments of her grieving process:

A few years ago, Jeremy (husband) officiated a funeral for a tiny still born baby. The family asked if I would read a poem and some Scripture in the service. I did it, but it was hard. Really hard; gut-wrenching hard.

I wanted to help this family grieve and honor their wishes, and had decided that for an hour I could put myself aside and allow them their moment. I barely made it through the readings, using every bit of emotional strength I had.

In a strange way, it was an enormously redemptive moment. In a sense, I was able to put a face to my unborn and unseen children. I was what my own babies might have looked like. I was able to see a body to what had only been a memory.

When the service was over, and I had given my proper pastoral condolences, I quietly made my way out of the sanctuary. I found the door opposite from where the small crowd was congregating in the back of the room. I tried to be as unnoticed as possible while I exited. I headed toward Jeremy’s office.

I wanted, needed, to be alone.

I needed to mourn the loss of my own babies. To listen to the memories that were needing to speak at this moment.

My fresh tears needed the space and freedom to create their own path.  

I didn’t make it down the long hallway from the sanctuary to Jeremy’s office. The tears were coming faster, and far too powerfully for me to stop them.

I slipped into a classroom and closed the door behind me.

All of the emotions of never physically saying goodbye to my own babies met me that day; that moment.

I allowed the tears to flow.

I allowed the heartache to make its peace.

I allowed what tears and pain had resided in my heart to find a way out; to make their own exit from my heart. They deserved it. I deserved it. My babies deserved it.

That funeral day, having stood next to a tiny casket, listening to my husband pray a final blessing over a little life, and allowing my new tears to fall, I was finally able to say goodbye to my babies.

My momma’s heart kissed them goodbye.

One day I will meet my babies in heaven. I will hold them, and love them, and tell them there wasn’t a day that went by in which I did not think of them. I will tell them the stories of their sisters, and of camping at the farm in Vermont, and meeting Mickey Mouse and Cinderella.

One day I’ll hold my babies. I will listen to them, look into their eyes as I run my fingers through their hair. I’ll follow the shape of their eyebrows and cheekbones with my thumb as I hold their heads in my hand. I will count their fingers and toes and hang on every word they have to tell me.

I’ll tell them of all the times I imagined them in my arms, but mostly, I’ll hold them and love them and kiss them a million times. 

I’ll tell them how Jesus used them to teach me about Himself, and about how my heart still melts at the sight of baby toes and chubby legs.

One day I’ll hold my babies. One day I’ll touch their perfect untouched skin, and smell their perfect fresh smell, and tell them I never stopped loving them, that I never stopped thinking of them—that January, March and July don’t pass by the calendar without a silent birthday wish from my heart to theirs.

But maybe they already know.

Until that day comes, though, I know they are with One who is more loving than I, who created them exactly how He wanted them to be, and has a reason for every second they lived, no matter how infinitely short I think that life was.

Here on this earth, however, we have been gifted with two amazing young ladies. We do our best to raise them with gratitude and intentionality. We celebrate their lives every single day.

The conclusion is a fantastic part of the journey, and we haven’t arrived at it yet. But we know it’s coming. We know there is a last chapter. We know, we believe, that God has written that chapter, that in the end He will make sense of everything… God’s story for us doesn’t always make sense in the present.

But it will.

One day.

I could never have uttered those words in the midst of our loss… I can say them now because it has been many years. I’ve lived this story of grief and loss, but I’ve seen the other side, the side of restored hope and joy, the side of the story where I can look back and see God’s hand in the midst of it all. Most importantly, though, I met Jesus in the midst of it. I realize that it was He who walked alongside us every second of every day, and from it there surely is a testimony.

When Tomorrow Starts Without Me

When Tomorrow starts without me and I’m not there to see;

If the sun should rise

And find your eyes

All filled with tears for me;

I wish so much you wouldn’t cry

The way you did today,

While thinking of the many things

We didn’t get to say.

I know how much you love me,

As much as I love you,

And each time you think of me

I know you’ll miss me too;

But when tomorrow starts without me,

Please try to understand,

That Jesus came and called my name

And took me by the hand,

And said my place was ready

In heaven far above,

And that I’d have to leave behind

All those I dearly love.

But as I turned to walk away,

A tear fell from my eye,

For all my life, I’d always thought

I didn’t want to die.

I had so much to live for

And so much yet to do,

It seemed almost impossible

That I was leaving you.

I thought of all the yesterdays,

The good ones and the bad.

I thought of all the love we’d shared

And all the fun we’d had.

If I could relive yesterday,

I thought, just for a while,

I’d say goodbye and kiss you

And maybe see you smile.

But then I fully realized

That this could never be,

For emptiness and memories

Would take the place of me.

And when I thought of worldly things

That I’d miss come tomorrow,

I thought of you,

And when I did,

My heart was filled with sorrow.

But when I walked through heaven’s gates,

I felt so much at home.

When God looked down and smiled at me,

From His great golden throne.

He said, “This is eternity

And all I’ve promised you.

Today your life on earth is past

But here it starts anew.

I promise no tomorrow,

But today will always last,

And since each day’s the same day,

There’s no longing for the past,

You have been so faithful,

so trusting and so true.

Though there were times you did some things

You knew you shouldn’t do.

But you have been forgiven

And now at last you’re free.

So won’t you take my hand

And share my life with me?”

So when tomorrow starts without me,

Don’t think we’re far apart,

For every time you think of me,

I’m right here in your heart!

- Author Unknown

Extra Losses In Your Life

The loss of a loved one is not a single loss.

The death of a child would be enough to cope with in the inevitable journey of grief, but such a loss also brings with it other losses. The child you love is gone, but in addition, there can be the loss of family relationships, the loss of finances, the loss of a job or perhaps even the loss of your home.

You may have to consider moving or altering your future plans. So, the loss of structure and stability become real issues to deal with, and sorting out which loss you are dealing with at a particular moment may be confusing.

What we are confronted with after a horrific loss, such as the loss of a child, is that life for us will never be the same. Many things change as a result of that one deep loss. It usually takes a while to realize the many changes that occur. Understanding that there are multiple losses and changes may seem overwhelming at times. Sometimes this can paralyze us in coping with them. Trying to prioritize the various challenges we now face can help. Some issues will require more immediate action. Others will allow for more time to deal with them.

Taking things “One Day at a Time” can be an oversimplification; but, in general, it is good counsel. There is no smooth and easy road on our grief journey; but God promises comfort, wisdom and guidance on a daily basis in our journey.

It has been more than ten years since our daughter, Crystal, died from leukemia. Our lives have certainly changed since our great loss. Not having Crystal with us now still effects our lives as a family. Crystal’s daughter, Robin, will graduate from college and is engaged to be married.  Crystal won’t be there in person to celebrate those special occasions with us. If you are a bereaved parent you have your own unique changes you have to face.

Even though life is different and will never be the same as it was, I can testify that God is faithful, for He has provided comfort and strength to go on with the new “normal” of our lives. May God help you in your journey today to cope with the “extra” losses and changes in your life.

It’s Another New Year

It’s a new year and people make resolutions that often don’t last very long into it. In reality, New Year’s Day is no different than any other day, except it requires a new calendar. We don’t live one year at a time. More practically, we live a day at a time. God has promised help in dealing with grief and other painful experiences in our lives, but He doesn’t give us a year’s supply for the new year.

God offers resources for each day:

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”  Lamentations 3:22-23

“As your day so shall your strength be.”  Deuteronomy 33:25b

I have heard it said, “Today is the tomorrow I worried about yesterday.” In one sense tomorrow never comes.  It is always “today” and that is what God wants us to understand. When “tomorrow” comes around it will again be “today” and God will provide what we need for each new day.

In the Lord’s Prayer we are taught to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread”… not weekly or monthly.

A verse of a popular gospel song, “One Day at a Time”, states it well:

One day at a time, sweet Jesus, that's all I'm asking from You.
Give me the strength to do every day what I have to do.
Yesterday's gone, sweet Jesus, and tomorrow may never be mine.
So for my sake, teach me to take one day at a time.*

We can’t stockpile God’s provisions. That’s a good thing, for it requires us to have daily contact with Him.

Remember, we need God more than the things He can give us.

*Published by Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC. Universal Music Publishing Group

The Best Christmas Gift Ever

“Thank God for His indescribable gift.”

“Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!”

“His gift too wonderful for words.”

“His incomparable gift.”

“His inestimable gift.”

“His indescribable generosity to you.”

“His unspeakable gift.”

 “Thank God for this gift, His gift. No language can praise it enough.”

[II Corinthians 9:15 as translated by different translators]

What this tells me is that God has given the “best” gift, a gift too wonderful to describe. He has given Himself through Jesus, who was born into the human family so we could be born into His family.

It is good for us to reflect on God’s gift as we consider the gifts we give and receive. I have come to understand that the value of Christmas is not determined by the presents under the tree, but the presence of our loved ones, especially the Presence of Jesus in our lives.

I would not want to deprive our daughter, Crystal, from her 11th Christmas celebration in heaven, but from my human standpoint I would forgo any and all Christmas presents just to spend another Christmas with Crystal here. Just to see her smile and give her another Christmas hug would be enough for me. Well, no, I would then wish she could stay with us, but I know that will not happen.

The value of gifts is not determined by dollars but by relationships. Let’s cherish the relationships we still have even though we miss our deceased loved ones so very, very much.

“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth… From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.”  John 1:14-18

Facing the Holidays and Your Grief

• Realize that the holidays can be difficult.
• Remember to mention your loved one’s name.
• Reminisce with a friend some memories of the special person in your celebrations.
• Rest when you can.
• Read about how others face grief and the holidays.
• Resist the pressure to say “yes” to every social event or the temptation to avoid any social gatherings.
• Relinquish some of your past traditions and be willing to create some new ones.
• Reach out to other grieving persons.
• Receive comfort from others.
• Reconcile with anyone you may have broken fellowship with.
• Recount your blessings.
• Release your heartache to the God of HOPE because He cares for you.

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

The Empty Chair

From: crystalkim@paradise.com

To: dad@notyethome.org

Subject:  “The Empty Chair”

Hi Dad and Mom,

It will soon be Thanksgiving down there.  I am planning to come again, so be sure to save me a seat at the Thanksgiving table.  I am also bringing a friend, so save another seat.

As you know, this will be the 11th Thanksgiving since I left home. I have been able to be back with you each year and also celebrate Thanksgiving here in my new home, too.

A lot has happened back there since I moved here and, though I have not been there in person, I have been there in spirit. I watched Robin and Jeff graduate from high school.  I know my college volleyball team was inducted into the college Hall of Fame. I know Robin will graduate from college in May.  I know Robin is now engaged to a wonderful young man.  Well, I could go on and on.

I’m sure the Thanksgiving dinner will be great, as always.  The one here is always fantastic; but I hear the big banquet being planned when we are all inducted into Heaven’s Hall of Fame is out of this world! Nobody would want to miss that!

Those two chairs you are saving for me and my friend may look empty on Thanksgiving; but I assure you, they won’t really be empty, for we will be there in spirit and precious memories. I know you all miss me and I miss you too.  For now we can only be with each other in spirit; but one day we can all be together again forever and ever!

Oh, by the way, Jesus will be coming with me again.  He said He wouldn’t miss it.

Remember what Jesus said: “There are many homes up here where my Father lives, and I am going to prepare them for your coming.  When everything is ready, then I will come and get you, so that you can always be with me where I am.”  John 14:3-4

Love, Crystal

Note:  Crystal (Allison) Kline (36) died from leukemia in 2005.

Thanksgiving in the Midst of Grief?

Many years ago in preparation for a Thanksgiving sermon I came across the following quote from a great Christian who was robbed. It helped give me a different perspective on thankfulness.

“I thank Thee first because I was never robbed before; second, because although they took my purse they did not take my life; third, because although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth because it was I who was robbed, and not I who robbed.”  Matthew Henry

I’m not sure how that directly applies to dealing with grief. Suggesting that our grief could be worse is not a helpful message and could be a hurtful message. Telling a bereaved parent that they “still have other children;” or that they” are young and can have another child” is cruel.

In light of all this, what can I be thankful for in the middle of my painful grief?

• I am thankful for “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles…” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4a.
• I am thankful for a wife who shares my grief.
• I am thankful for family and friends who are supportive.
• I am thankful for a church that ministers to me.
• I am thankful for the hope I have that “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.  He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”  Revelation 21: 3b-4
• I am thankful for the promise, “For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” 1 Corinthians 15: 25-26
• I am thankful for precious memories.

My prayer is that in spite of your grief you will also be aware of blessings for which you too can be thankful.

Hope for the Future and Comfort for the Present

There are things I like about all four seasons of the year.  I particularly like fall for the changing of the leaves, a panorama of beauty as I travel past the Blue Mountains in my area and even the trees in my yard. The beauty of nature reminds me of our Creator God; and the changing of the seasons, year after year, reminds me of the order God has created.

Even though we live in a fallen world where we suffer loss and grief, God has a way of taking the broken pieces of our lives and bringing some good out of them.  God does not cause the pain or suffering, but He allows it to happen for we have not yet reached the restored creation He has promised. 

Just as we know the seasons will follow one another year after year; even more so, we believe God will one day bring about restoration of all things when His Kingdom will be established in all its splendor for ever and ever.

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth.  The first heaven and the first earth had disappeared, and there was no sea anymore.  And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.  It was prepared like a bride dressed for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘Now God’s presence is with people, and he will live with them, and they will be his people.  God himself will be with them and will be their God.  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death, sadness, crying, or pain, because all the old ways are gone.’” (Revelation 21:1-4)

It is wonderful to have this hope that is revealed to us in the above Scripture, but it is also comforting to know that, in the meantime,

“The Lord’s love never ends; his mercies never stop.  They are new every morning; Lord your loyalty is great.” (Lamentations 3:22-23)

The God Who Heals Our Hurts

 by: Zig Zigler

As you are hurting, may I suggest some things that have helped me in hard times?  First of all, I urge you to find strength in applying God’s Word for yourself.  Here’s what I mean.  One morning after Suzan’s death, I was reading in Psalm 46. Verse 1 was enormously encouraging to me when I applied it this way:  “God is my refuge and strength, a very present help in my time of trouble.”  I’ve since found it a powerful comfort to read such psalms aloud like this.

Look expectantly in Scripture for God to provide you with fresh insights, joy, and help: “My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word!” (Psalm 119:28).  He wants to heal your hurts while He strengthens your faith.

It makes perfect sense that God wants you to express your dependence upon Him daily in Prayer.  Tell Him how you’re feeling.  Grief is the price you pay for caring. God’s grace is the solution to any burden you carry.  Your recovery to a great extent lies in your daily communication with Him.  I like the way the psalmist put it: “I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy.  Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.” (Psalm 116:1-2)

Taken from “I Know You Are Hurting”, Good News Publishers

Does Jesus Care?

Do you ever wonder where God is in your painful times of grief? 

In the Scripture, we find that Jesus is super sensitive to people who were hurting.  In Mark 10:48, He heard the cry of blind Bartimaeus.  He felt the touch of the hemorrhaging woman in Luke 8:45. 

The words to the following song have been meaningful to me for a long time.

Does Jesus Care? *

Does Jesus care when my heart is pained
Too deeply for mirth or song,
As the burdens press, and the cares distress,
And the way grows weary and long?

Refrain:
Oh, yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.

Does Jesus care when my way is dark
With a nameless dread and fear?
As the daylight fades into deep night shades,
Does He care enough to be near?

Does Jesus care when I’ve tried and failed
To resist some temptation strong;
When for my deep grief there is no relief,
Though my tears flow all the night long?

Does Jesus care when I’ve said “goodbye”
To the dearest on earth to me,
And my sad heart aches till it nearly breaks—
Is it aught to Him? Does He see?

I pray that these words will encourage you as you realize again that, “Oh, yes, He cares, I know He cares. His heart is touched with my (your) grief.”

* “Does Jesus Care?” by Frank E Graeff, 1901, Public Domain

Ten Years Ago

Our daughter, Crystal, got to meet her Lord and Savior in heaven ten years ago this month.
When I visited her room early in the evening before her death, Crystal was awake as I talked to her. The nurses didn’t want us to stay long because they said she needed sleep. I told Crystal to get some rest and that I would be back. The next time I returned she was asleep. I never saw her awake again.

The words of a song penned by Dottie Rambo came to mind:

“Soon I shall hear the call of heaven’s portals
‘Come home my child,
It’s the last mile you must trod.’
I’ll fall asleep and wake in God’s sweet heaven,
For I’m sheltered in the arms of God.”

Early the next morning her husband, Dave, and I were in her room standing by Crystal’s bed, each holding one of her hands and talking to her, though she could not hear us. We each kissed her forehead as she slipped silently from this world, out of our hands and into the loving arms of Jesus. Dave and I talked as we drove home from the hospital early that morning. I said to Dave, “Dave, I tied the knot for the two of you fourteen years ago and we just untied the knot together to release her back to God.”

Dave said, “Yea, that’s right, and I am so happy for her, even though I know I’ll miss her very much.”

The program for leukemia was to run something like:
chemo treatments
break
chemo
break
chemo
stem cell transplant
remission
periodic treatments
cure

Crystal skipped a few steps. She had:
chemo
break
chemo
cure

Except, she was transferred to heaven for the cure, and the big difference was that her cure was permanent!

For us, the beginning of Crystal’s life was much better than the end of her life. It’s Crystal Clear that for her it was just the opposite. The end of her life here was the gateway to her fantastic life now.

On August 1, 2005, Crystal left the hospital for home. It was her final trip home. The last days of her life here were painful; but that pain came to an end early in the morning when she died. Then the ‘stone’ was rolled away for her too. She rose from the dead, just as Jesus did! She is not dead! She lives today!!

To us, it’s Crystal Clear that our daughter is with the Lord in a place beyond description; but the pain of her loss has been incredibly deep. The belief we have that she is in heaven doesn’t eliminate the stinging pain we still often feel. Yet, we are able to bear it because we know she is with Jesus, and we know we will see her again.

Ten years compared to eternity is a blink of an eye.  Missing Crystal for ten years has been difficult but Elmer Cole reminds us in his song, “Ten Thousand Years,” that:

“Ten thousand years... We'll just be started.
Ten thousand years... We've just begun.
The battle will be over... And the victory is won.
Ten thousand years... And we've just begun.”

That is the unshakable hope we have in Christ; and to us, that, too, is Crystal Clear!