Today’s Word from Pastor Jim…
In the early morning hours, I stood at the bedside of a dying man. Brought to consciousness by the sound of my voice calling his name, his eyes opened briefly to acknowledge my presence. In this liminal space between this world and the next, familiar words were repeated slowly, rhythmically; “even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil for thou are with me.” Soon a loved one would arrive to hold his hand, to touch his brow, to gently caress dying flesh. The labor would be long and difficult, he would die in the place where he was born a lifetime ago. He would cross over calmed and comforted by the promise that he was not alone, a promise reaffirmed by tactile sensation. In the evening, peace settled into a body that had struggled to hold on, a final breath, the hand of God, the grace filled arms of the prodigal father welcoming another son home.
In the early morning, as the sun was about to rise, just 24 hours removed from a deathbed, my baby girl brought her baby girl to the bed where I had slumbered the night away. Little Molly, nourished already by mother’s milk, her diaper changed, she was ready to meet the world once again. At ten days old, Molly engages in three activities; she eats, poops and sleeps. For the next two hours she would sleep in my arms. It was a time of wonder and reflection for me. Was it yesterday that I held Molly’s mother in my arms? Could one hold a newborn and not see the hand of God? Occasionally, a smile would cross her lips, a pleasant dream or just gas, her smile brought one to me. She would stretch her arms to the sky like a bear awakening from hibernation and then slip back into slumber. Our hearts began beating together as she laid on my chest and then startled by the noise of her older brothers, her tiny hand grabbed hold of my finger. She did not know whose hand she was holding. She just knew that she was not alone and that was enough to give her peace.
“For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die.”
There are no easy seasons in life, but there are no seasons void of wonder and beauty. Garner your courage and grab a hand, open your heart and hold the trembling hand of your sister. We are not alone my friends, in life and in death, we are not alone.
One beggar, telling another beggar where to find bread, I am your,
Pastor Jim
