I chased the sun into Anchorage the other night. All the while, my heart was heavy with the unexpected tragic decline of one of my "heart" friends. Mia McDonald was a fellow Seattle Children's patient, who received a heart transplant for her ailing heart at 4 months old. She was a little over a half a year younger than Natalie. A Make-a-Wish trip to Walt Disney World turn tragic as Mia, who had been doing so well, suddenly declined and was found to be in rejection of her transplanted heart. Her family had to say good-bye to her that weekend far from their home in Utah.
A community friend who had battled with MS for many years and recently developed cancer went to see the Lord face-to-face this weekend. Elaine always presented herself with dignity and had a smile for those taking care of her. She was very involved in community service. Even as she became wheelchair bound, her focus was not on herself, but on others.
As I sat there in the solitude of an empty truck, I took in the glory of what God was painting before me. If this was only
a part of what He must be like, I couldn't imagine what it would be like to meet Him face-to-face.
As a nurse, I get to see a lot of the "good, bad and ugly." I can become indifferent to disease, but there are times when it is just so apparent what sin has done to our bodies. We were made for an eternal purpose, but when sin entered into our lives, so did death. (Romans 5) It's just ugly!
I'm so glad that there is hope.
If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied. But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man (Jesus) also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive...The last enemy that will be abolished is death...O Death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1Corinthians 15:19-22,26,55-58
Maybe the beauty of a sunset has been put there by our Creator to remind us to have hope. We will experience the darkness of death, but the morning will always come with joy for those who trust the Savior, Jesus.
