Where is God?

I read something yesterday that was so incredibly and unbelievably true that I had to blog about it.  Well, I’m not even going to blog about it, but rather blog it.  This is an excerpt from Alicia Britt Chole’s Book, Sitting in God’s  Sunshine.

“Chapter: Where is God when we Grieve?

An odd company seems to surround us when we are grieving.

First there are the concerned but clumsy whose desire to help is sabotaged by some inner compulsion to say something.  They offer awkward, hollow, often trite advice… as if a single phrase could make the pain go away.

Second, there are the emotionally absent who believe that loss is best forgotten.  More comfortable with denial than reality, they hope that if they act as if nothing happened, we will too.  The emotionally absent view more than momentary displays of grief as weakness or even lack of faith.

Third, there are the truly healing who, thankfully, know that no words can banish or dilute our pain.  They offer their silent, faithful, near presence.  The truly healing people are simply and profoundly with us.

And then there is God.  What posture does He assume when we are grieving?”

(She goes on to describe Lazarus’ death, focusing not on Mary and Martha’s call to heal him while he was sick, nor on the act of healing him from the dead, but instead on the grieving moments in between.  See John 11)

“Martha: “Lord if You had been here, my brother would not have died” It is important to emphasize what Jesus does not say in response to her.  He does not say, “You shouldn’t feel that way.” Or  “how dare you accuse or question me,” or “it’s in the past, move on.”.  Jesus responds with something true, not trite, something gracious, not judgmental: “Your brother will rise again… I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me will live, even though he dies.” (John 11:23, 25)

When a grieving friend weeps at Jesus’ feet, He is neither emotionally absent nor concerned but clumsy: “When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.  And He said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said t Him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus wept”  (John 11:33-35)

Where is God when we are grieving?  The same place he was for Mary and Martha: with us, by the silent tomb, weeping.

As our hearts break, God comes close, He is not absent.  Respecting our pain, He is emotionally compassionate, not verbally clumsy.  While we grieve, God offers His silent, faithful near presence.  Like a wise, good truly healing friend, He is simply and profoundly with us.  And though we cannot see or feel them, His tears mingle with ours as we weep.”

The following is what I spoke at my Granny’s funeral:

The last day that Granny was alive, God spoke to me one verse, and not even the whole verse, just part of the verse… “to die is gain.” “to die is gain.” “to die is gain.” I woke up thinking it, throughout the day it brought peace, and at the end of the day, when I heard that Granny had breathed her last breath, it was a comforting verse. “to die is gain.”

Paul wrote this verse when he was imprisoned.  In Philippians 1:20-24, we read:

Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.  For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what shall I choose I cannot tell.  For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.  Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.

I believe that Granny was hard pressed between the two.  She knew she was needed here on earth, she knew we wanted her here, but to depart and be with Christ was far better.

My mom reminded me of when Granny’s mom died.  She was in the hospital, and a nurse was present when she passed away.  She just looked up and said with her final breath, “Oh, it’s just so beautiful!” …. To die is gain.

I read an amazing book several years ago, and when I thought of those special words, to die is gain, scenes from the book came back to me.  I would like to share those with you today.  The author of the book is a minister who was involved in a horrible car accident.  When paramedics got to the scene, he was legally pronounced dead.  He says he went straight to heaven.  A Baptist minister saw the accident, knew he was dead, and despite the scoffing of paramedics refused to quit praying for this man.  God answered his prayer, and this man returned to earth with a snapshot of heaven.

This is how he relates his story:

“In my next moment of awareness, I was standing in heaven.  Joy pulsated through me as I looked around, and at that moment I became aware of a large crowd of people standing in front of a brilliant, ornate gate.  They rushed toward me, every person smiling, shouting and praising God.  There were so many of them, and I had had never imagined anyone being as happy as they all were.  Their faces radiated a serenity I had never seen on earth.  All were full of life and expressed radiant joy.  As I try to explain this, my words seem weak and hardly adequate, because I have to use earthly terms to refer to unimaginable joy, excitement, warmth, and total happiness.  Everyone continually embraced me, touched me, and spoke to me, laughed and praised God.”

“I had never felt such powerful embraces or feasted my eyes on such beauty.  Heaven’s light and texture defy earthly eyes or explanation.  Warm, radiant light engulfed me.  As I looked around, I could hardly grasp the vivid, dazzling colors.  Every hue and tone surpassed anything I had ever seen.  Never, even in my happiest moments, had I ever felt so fully alive.  I felt loved—more loved than ever before in my life.  When they gazed at me, I knew what the Bible means by perfect love.  It emanated from every person who surrounded me.  At some point, I looked around and the sight overwhelmed me.  Everything was brilliantly intense.  Coming out from the gate—a short distance ahead—was a brilliance that was brighter than the light that surrounded us, utterly luminous.  As far ahead as I could see there was absolutely nothing but intense, radiant light.”

“By contrast, the powerful light I had encountered when I met my friends and loved ones paled into darkness as the radiance and iridescence in front of me increased.  It was as if each step I took intensified the glowing luminosity.  I didn’t know how it could get more dazzling, but it did.”

“Strange as it seems, as brilliant as everything was, each time I stepped forward, the splendor increased.  The farther I walked, the brighter the light.  A holy awe came over me as I stepped forward.  I had no idea of what lay ahead, but I sensed that with each step I took, it would grow more wondrous.  Then I heard music.”

He goes on to say that he was called back before he was given the privilege of seeing God.  He made sense of that by saying, “If I had actually seen God, I would never have wanted to return.  My feeling has been that once we’re actually in God’s presence, we will never return to earth again, because it will be empty and meaningless by comparison.  To reach the gates was amazing.  It was a foretaste of joy divine.”

To die is gain.  Today I rejoice that Granny has joined Jesus.  She got the better end of the deal.  I want to close with precious words from Revelation 21.  John wrote of the revelation that God gave to him regarding heaven.

And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people.  God Himself will be with them and be their God.  And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.  There shall be no more pain.”

After a life spent with Jesus, “To die is gain.”