love

This post is dedicated to a family in my Church.
Human life and relationships on earth are a gift from God. They evoke our deepest emotions, our greatest depth of feeling.  Love that springs from close relationships is also a gift from God and one that teaches us much about our God and his love for us. Broken relationships and conflicts often cause life long pain and suffering. There is a deep power in the bond between human beings. Often we are sucked into pursuing our relationships with humans more steadily than our relationship with our Creator. When someone we love leaves this earth, we feel that part of our heart has been ripped out. Sometimes this suffering leads us from God. It tells to avoid ever becoming vulnerable again and it tells us to question God's love. Yet sometimes this suffering bring us into a closer relationship with God. It shows us His love in giving His Son. It teaches us to trust his sovereignty. It helps us to have an even greater understanding of the hope we have in our future life beyond this earth. A family in my church has recently experienced the death of a loved one. And their love and devotion to her is obviously great. But greater still has been their love and devotion to their Savior. It is easy to give in to the sin pulling on your heart, but this family has been an amazing example of showing Christ's love and of trusting God, even when they face suffering on earth.

"She was a gift to you and your love was a gift to her. But no matter how fully you loved her, Christ can and does love her better. She faced suffering on this earth. Only Christ can heal her. Only He can make her whole." ~my mother, when talking to one of the girls in the family