Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Learning to Rejoice

Miriam
Dear Readers,
My lifeboat friend, Miriam, was excited to share with her group how the Lord was helping her through her grief, and has given me permission to share it here on the blog, with you, too. ferree
Miriam Carrillo Arrighi
Hello Everyone!! I pray that we are all keeping cool… please allow me your patience to share with you all a Bible study on praise that I recently did. I pray that it will cuddle your heart and soul as it has mine.  
The Bible study was Life Principles, by Dr. Charles Stanley, and the lesson was “How can I praise God when life doesn’t go well?”
The following principles that I read in my Bible lesson blessed me with such awe!

I realized that because of my sorrow I had not allowed myself to rejoice over some things:
1)      for what my husband is experiencing today
2)      nor for the pure joy that it gave Our Savior to bring home His child to be with Him for all eternity!
3)      nor for the fulfillment of my husband’s faith and the Blessed Hope that he and I shared (and which all of us have), to be with Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, someday.

His death ended our earth journey but not our eternity journey! My husband is enjoying the awesome joy of his soul being with Jesus. He is home with Our Lord! Wow! How complete and healed he is today! Even though I miss him with all my heart, my love for him has to rejoice for him.
I have decided that when those low moments come in my grief passage, I will remember where he is now. I can bear my circumstances knowing that this was where my husband was hoping to be when God called him home. (John 14: 1-3) ”Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”

His death poured sorrow into my life but it was his chosen time when Jesus called him home, for God is always in control.
I truly believe that God so deeply knows grief. I also believe that with each death that brings so much sorrow here on earth there comes so much more rejoicing to Him. He knows that the suffering and death of His only son Jesus Christ was worth His sorrow to have today His child, (my husband and your spouse) with Him.

Only He can pour compassion and healing into our souls as we walk this journey we are temporarily on. The Lord has so much more for us—all in His time and as we allow Him. Despite how we may feel, praise really can flow from us like a fountain--beginning right now. And as we praise, a soothing peace enters our hearts!    --Miriam

3 comments:

  1. Miriam, I loved these words when I first read them on the Facebook widow pages and I love them now. Thank you, Miriam!
    Sharon V.W.

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  2. Miriam thank you for these awe inspiring words. It brings such peace to my heart knowing that Jesus welcomes us home and we can rest assured knowing our spouses are in such a beautiful, better place with our Lord and Saviour.

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  3. Miriam - I'm just catching up on emails after my first-ever long trip without my dear Gordon. Your study on praise was exactly what I needed to read. It's easy to fall into self-pity, so I was really grateful to be reminded that Gordon is where he wanted to be when he left this earth, and that he's healed and rejoicing! One of our favorite gospel songs ends with "There I'll be through the countless ages; look for me at Jesus' feet" and I'm so grateful to have that picture in my mind every day. Thank you so much!
    Patricia

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