Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die. John 11:25 NIV
We were all gathered in her room at the hospital. The past weeks had been full of ups and downs. One day she was doing really well. The next day not so much. So many prayers were prayed for her. So many whispers of “Please help her.” Every day we came. Every night in between a fitful sleep we pleaded for her healing.
On one of these days as we sat in the hospital room listening to the monitor alert as her oxygen levels went up and down, I prayed “God, we’ve been here praying. She seems to be getting worse. Is this your final answer?”
His response, “Jesus was my final answer.”
She passed away not too long after that night. And our worlds are not the same. There is such pain and sadness in the hearts of many. But, here’s the really wonderful news. She embraced Jesus and believed in his resurrecting power. And so while we are mourning her passing, the Final Answer has stepped in. He covered her with his blood and she is resting in Him.
Celebrating Christmas is harder this year. But here’s the thing. Jesus’ birth was God implementing his plan to save us. It was the start of the biggest miracle EVER. It was culminated in the biggest “I love you” statement of all time. Without the birth of Jesus, we would not have the hope we have that we will see her again.
So while celebrating Christmas will be harder because she will not be here with us, I want to try. I want to focus on the life we’ve been given because of Jesus instead of the death that is meant to break us. As hard as it is, we need to keep our eyes on things of eternity, not the things of this world. This eternal hope is not just for her, it’s for all of us. Jesus’ Christmas gift to us loves us through the things we experience here into the life we will eventually live with him. I want to try to embrace this gift in my heart and remember the real reason behind the season.
Jesus, thank you for the best Christmas gift of all. You. Thank you for coming. Thank you for walking this earth and showing us who God is and how much we are loved. Thank you for making the ultimate sacrifice so we would be healed. Help us to remember all of it, this and every Christmas. In Your Mighty Name, Amen.