LOSS=GAIN

Hi all… Sorry it’s been longer than normal since my last post. It’s been a difficult couple of weeks. This past Saturday, my great grandmother passed away. Loss and death are a part of life. I thought I was prepared for this. She’d been sick for years and when she went into the hospital this past week, I began to pray for God to take her to heaven. I have hated to watch her suffer through the years with diabetes and breathing problems. Her husband passed away in 1993 and not a day has gone by that she hasn’t missed him terribly. So the call came in early Saturday, I packed and headed out of town to join my family. The entire way I kept thanking God for being faithful to her and to us. I cried a little, but they were tears of joy knowing that she will never again be sick or lonely. The weekend went well, considering the circumstances. THEN the funeral came along. No matter how prepared I thought I was to say goodbye to Grandma Strange, the tears began to flow the moment the first song started! She had professed her faith and lived it out and I know that I will one day be reunited with her, but Thanksgiving will not be the same without he, July 1 will not be the same without her, Christmas will not be the same without her. I know that to lose is to gain… We may have lost her here on earth, but she has gained Eternity in Heaven with Jesus. The day before she passed away, I was introduced to a song by The Crabb Family. It’s entitled “Through the Fire.” The lyrics are listed below. The part that kept me going ALL WEEKEND was the chorus… It’s true that we were never promised this life would be easy. He warned us there would be trials and tribulations. He warned us there would be tears and sorrow. BUT He did promise us that He would be there to walk us through it all. We are never alone in our fear, sadness, hurts, grief. Thankfully, as I was sitting there, letting go of an outstanding great-grandmother, God was comforting me and showering me with peace, assuring me that she’s safe. I pray that the words to this song impact you today.

Through The Fire
So many times I've questioned certain circumstances
Things I could not understand
Many times in trials, weakness blurs my vision
Then my frustration gets so out of hand
It's then I am reminded I've never been forsaken
I've never had to stand the test alone
As I look at all the victories the spirit rises up in me
And it's through the fire my weakness is made strong
(chorus)
He never promised that the cross would not get heavy
And the hill would not be hard to climb
He never offered our victories without fighting
But he said help would always come in time.
Just remember when you're standing in the valley of decision
And the adversary says give in
Just hold on, our Lord will show up
And he will take you through the fire again
(bridge)
I know within myself that I would surely perish
But if I trust the hand of God, He'll shield the flames again

~What kind of valley are you walking through? What kind of decisions are you facing? I am here to tell you today, my friend, that there is nothing that can conquer you. Jesus conquered it all when He chose to crawl up the hill to Calvary and hang on that cross. Have faith today that He wants to help you through life, but you must accept His hand.
Humbly His~BG