I love facebook… have since the day I first joined. All my friends live there, my photographs, my memories,funny conversations, cute videos, all live in my fb account. I am guilty of checking in far too much each day, posting things that I am sure make people crazy, using it to boast and brag on my youngun, snicker at other people, guilty of it all. I’m saying that because I am about to throw stones and I realize it is at a glass house… I am guilty of doing the stupid on the site… but what I do try to do is be real. Honest, transparent, based in reality --REAL ! I’ve let me emotions run wild at times, probably said too much MANY times...but I live my life on FB the way I try to live my life in RL...open, clear, honest and pointing people to Christ.
I am writing this morning as a Christ follower and a wife who is grieving her spouse. Not a perfect spouse, not a perfect man, not a perfect father, a REAL, flesh and bone, good, bad, troubled, happy, sad, caring and indifferent, at times sweet and other times unkind man who fought demons and finally lost. A man who is dead. He is in a box, wearing clothes I chose for him, cold as ice, six feet (so they tell me) under the ground. No air, in the dark, wasting away back to the dust… that’s where his human carriage is located. It’s a sweet place, a place he actually picked out for us all to have our final rest. He lies with my mom and his friend, someday my dad and me. If I want to kick him -- I go there and kick some dirt. You can too - stupid, stupid, boy!
BUT -- he’s not really there. He went to heaven… I saw him go. I was holding his hand and then I tried to hold his spirit in by putting my head on the top of his… for just one more second of life. But he went. I believe he was escorted to Heaven like all of us who believe in the saving grace of Jesus, (and he did!) I believe he was brought to Jesus, I believe he worshipped him right then and there, I think he is still doing just that… I believe it to be so, I have read it in scripture and scripture is truth.
Scripture is TRUTH. It is God’s word, it is living and breathing. It is relevant, it is worthy of heeding because it is TRUE. Not much in this world is true. News is fake, internet is baloney, people you think you could trust lie and and conspire against you. Satan is out killing and destroying people and families and TRUTH is hard to find. Except in the Bible. It's all true...all you have to do is READ it. God will help you understand it . And if that happens….then this can be avoided.
Finally here --- this is what I want to say this morning. These memes on Facebook, the ones that mean well, the ones that people like to share...especially at Christmas. They are the devil’s work. They may be pretty and the sentiments might be nice but Christian friends… please think and investigate before you share a meme about people in heaven. Contrary to the two most popular ones I’ve seen/been sent, this month….my husband is not going to come down on Christmas day and sit at our table for dinner. He is not looking down and seeing how sad we are, he is not hearing the carols being sung or played on WAFJ (well, he would be tuning into to a KICKS 99 - the country station -- but still). He is not sending us love from heaven, or a present from heaven, or flying around in the form of a bird. Although I have a fondness for the red bird because it is a sweet reminder of loved ones -- but I have NEVER once thought it was really my mom or Danny who were out there pecking at the bird feeder. It just is not happening. My well-meaning, Christ believing sisters and brothers who share these memes… please look to the word of God for your memes. Scripture makes a much better sentiment.
You see, it is not comforting to me to think that Danny is in heaven and yet still so tied to this awful earth that he sees me and Hannah. That he sees our pain, hears our conversations, comes and sits in a “ghostly form” at the dinner table. WHAT????? NO! Absolutely NOT! Danny is in HEAVEN-- with JESUS. It’s heaven. He AIN’T thinking about us anymore. HE IS WITH THE LORD. THAT is ALL the comfort I need. Just to know that he finally is calm, his addiction is gone, all his questions answered, his struggles are over. He is where I long to be, and trust me - when I get there -- I will not care what you are doing, what songs you are singing, what gifts you are opening and what the heck you are eating for Christmas dinner. Don’t save me a place, I won’t be there. I will not be at the bird feeder, I will not be tuning the heavenly radio trying to get a good signal… I will be with the LORD. And If I look back, it will only be to see if you are following me to Heaven and I will see you with perfect eyes...so I will know how the story ends...I will not be sad...I’ll just be cheering you on until you get where I am.
Think before you post - check out what God says. I completely get non-believers making this mistake...but my believer friends and family should know better. I expect you to know better, I implore you to know better. I appreciate the sentiments -- I know people mean it as comfort….but REALITY is much more comforting. God is much more comforting. Thinking my dead husband is hovering around my Christmas tree...NOT comforting!
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