To Everything There Is A Season...🤍

"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die;

A time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal;

A time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh;

A time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones;

A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to gain, and a time to lose;

A time to keep, and a time to throw away;

A time to tear, and a time to sew;

A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate;

A time of war, and a time of peace."

-Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

 I was reading these familiar words of Ecclesiastes 3 recently and they moved me in a new way. With the recent, tragic death of a young lady we knew who suddenly got cancer, and the passing of our beloved Dr. John MacArthur, I have been reminded of how temporary life on this earth is. We can become so busy living our life that we can easily forget that in a moment, we could face eternity. For the child of God, there is no fear in death for we know it is just a bridge to be crossed to come into His presence forever. Yet while He sees fit for us to remain on the earth, let us never forget that to everything there is a season...and let us live fully in whatever season He places us in. Whether it is weeping or laughing, whether it is grieving a loved one's passing or rejoicing in a new birth, whether it is waiting or doing, whether it is losing or gaining...live every moment fully for Jesus Christ our Lord. The season He has you in is beautiful and always, only good.

Another reason I have been reflecting on the temporariness of life recently is because I have been remembering when we had to say goodbye to our precious Aunt Jackie a year ago in August. She would have been 96 years old today, had not the Lord called her home last year. We loved her so much and greatly miss her.❤️ You couldn't get any sweeter than Aunt Jackie!🥹 And you couldn't visit her without her getting you something to eat or drink and of course you had to take 10 things home with you.😉☺️ I would love to listen to her tell stories for hours, and my only regret is that I didn't come out of my shy-shell more often and carry on a conversation. Toward the end of her life, though, we developed a special relationship where we would pick at each other which was really sweet and fun.🥰 I would give anything to hug her one more time and hear her say, "I love you, darlin!"❤️ To everything there is a season! God gave her a wonderful 95 years with us, but now she's experiencing something so much more wonderful up in heaven, and I can't wait to get up there and sing praises around God's throne with her!😇 

Love you, Aunt Jackie!

Hello After Goodbye

Vs. 1 

We dress in black and say goodbye, how our hearts break and oh, how we cry

Yet though we grieve we still have hope

'Cause for all hearts of faith, we trust and know

Chorus:

There is a hello after goodbye, a blessed reunion promised in time

We will be with them far longer than we were without

No doubt, no more tears in our eyes

In that beautiful, wonderful, hello after goodbye

Vs. 2 

Next time we see them, we'll never more know

The sorrow and pain of letting go

We're with them forever, life without end

In that most blessed sweet moment when

Chorus:

There is a hello after goodbye, a blessed reunion promised in time

We will be with them far longer than we were without

No doubt, no more tears in our eyes

In that beautiful, wonderful, hello after goodbye

Bridge:

We will see them again, be with them again

Laugh and talk like before, sing and worship forever more

Chorus:

There is a hello after goodbye, a blessed reunion promised in time

We will be with them far longer than we were without

No doubt, no more tears in our eyes

In that beautiful, wonderful, hello after goodbye

"To everything there is a season

A time for meeting, a time to say goodbye

In all things, God is near, always guiding your way.

May the road rise to meet you, may the wind be at your back

May the sun rise warm upon your face

May the rain fall softly on your fields

And until we meet again

May you keep safe in the gentle, loving arms of God."

~Grace