Between Here and There

I am pondering the events of the night before.  Getting the news that our good friend died yesterday certainly caused great swings of emotions.  There was sadness, of course, and yet there was relief as he was finally made whole in Jesus.  Which leads to joy, knowing that he was a child of God. 

But if you have experienced the death of one whom you loved, it is never easy.  I know some of those moments of grief, remembering, laughter, tears, and even silence.  I am praying for the family and friends of this man who called Jesus His Lord.

As a beautiful spring morning here at the coast emerges, with little wind, no clouds and the sun shining warmly across the ocean coast, I am struck by the odd contrast.  Primarily, of how this day must look depending upon where you see it from. 

This first morning without her husband, their dad, their grandpa, with the sun breaking into their rooms, slowly waking them from an evening of restless and draining sleep.  Their morning will be different than mine. 

I am sitting in my study preparing for a Sunday worship service.  They are waking to the stark memory of the night before.  Alone.  They will worship, yes, but it will be dissimilar to what they are accustomed to.  Here on earth, we awake to face the day, to battle the tears, to grasp onto hope, and the reality and temporalness of life.

He, on the other hand, when he awoke (pardon the poor theology and the use of poetic freedom), awoke this morning to glory.  No sun, just the presence of the Son.  Waking refreshed, waking praising, waking complete.  Another gorgeous day in eternity!

Words fail, but God is.  And because we are His, we are.  Good morning all.  Between here and there.  Here between heaven and earth.