End of a journey, but beginning of Eternity

Wow... I am on my way to see my grandpa for the last time. His hospice nurse has said he won't make it to Monday. After receiving the diagnosis that his cancer was terminal, the uncertainty about the state of his heart and the pain that it causes my dad have been at the forefront of my mind. As we prepared for this trip, I was struggling to find people to cover my position at church on Sunday and put out a blanket ask to the nursery volunteers. God provided people to cover all of the needed positions. Our departure time (via car) was pushed up after a call from my uncle informed us that he had taken a turn for the worst. However, with that also came the news that when praying with my uncle (a pastor) my grandpa acknowledged Christ and accepted His forgiveness. Wow! Such an answer to prayer. :) God has also orchestrated the timing so that my dad and his siblings will all be together at my grandparents house this weekend.

The verses of Romans 8, specifically 26-39, offer so much hope! In verse 26, it says that we don't know how to pray as we should, "but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words". We have someone asking for what we need even if we don't know ourselves. Not only that, but God has chosen us,justified us and has a plan for us (v. 28-30). Not only that, but "If God is for us, who is against us?" (v 31) Then, in verse 35, Paul asks, "Who will separate us from the love of Christ?" Finally, in verses 37-39 he says, "but in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loves us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels,nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of god, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." It is just so powerful! It doesn't matter when or where, but when we have accepted the love of Christ and allowed ourselves to be justified through His love, nothing, NOTHING, can separate us from the love of Christ and His good and perfect plan.

While I am sad that we will loose my grandpa, nothing can take away the joy that he has accepted Christ and I will see him on the other side of eternity. That offer is available to all of us regardless of how hurt, broken or damaged we are. Through the grace of Christ we can experience joy for eternity!