And She'll Be Gone

I usually write about our country's service men and women on Memorial Day. They are the ones who stand up for our country and often, too often, sacrifice their lives for us, for our benefit. Today, however, I am going to write about a different kind of soldier - my friend Ali.

Ali died this past Saturday after an eight-year battle with cancer. She left behind a husband and three daughters. Ali was an amazing mom. She was always looking out for her daughters, wanting them to do what was right.

Her husband Dave was, and is, an amazing example of a Biblical husband - a leader in his family yet a sacrificial servant to all. I have known Dave for 40 years and I have never known him not to be anything but a devoted husband and father.

I first met Ali when she came to see just what kind leaders her youngest daughter Sky had in the youth group she was attending. Not enough parents care that deeply. We must have passed muster because Sky kept coming and Ali and I became good friends. But then came the cancer diagnosis and our relationship changed. It grew stronger.

Ali and I had many amazing conversations, usually lasting an hour or two. She'd talk about her daughters, her husband, the treatments she was receiving. Hmm, you know, I think Ali's doctors feared her. I think that was because she knew more about her treatments, what was right and what was wrong, than her doctors did. That's not saying they knew nothing. It's saying Ali knew a lot!

Our favorite topic though had to have been Jesus. We talked about Him a lot. Now I find myself a little envious of my friend because she has gotten to see Him face-to-face. I can only imagine.

I have prayed with many people in my life. Ali was both the toughest one to pray with and the most enjoyable at the same time. We would pray for each other and for our families. It was always a special time, but the time we prayed after she told me she wasn't going to pursue any more chemo or radiation treatments was probably . . . the best of times and the worst of times.

I have never prayed more deeply or more intentionally with anyone. There is something powerful in holding a friends hands and praying for them, knowing they are going to be dying. Even now, the tears are blurring these words I am typing.

Those who knew Ali were blessed by her. I am grateful and blessed to be called her friend, as are many others, and I am excited for the day when I will get to see her again.

A few weeks before Ali died she sent me a text. She told me that she had had a dream about an angel paying her a visit. "It was so real!" she told me. I believe it seemed real to her . . . because it was.

As we walk through this life God places a wide variety of people in our lives. Each one is placed there for a reason . .  a purpose. I believe Ali was placed in my life to deepen my faith and relationship with Jesus. Our friendship is an example of how ALL friendships should end. Never.

"5 For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. ² We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. ³ For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. ⁴ While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. ⁵ God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.

⁶ So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. ⁷ For we live by believing and not by seeing. ⁸ Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. ⁹ So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him." - 2 Corinthians 5:1-9
I love you Ali. Can't wait to see you again, my friend. I don't know whether or not there are any hummingbirds in heaven but I'm sure there is at least one now. LOL! Miss you girl.

I Can Only Imagine - MercyMe 
Cinderella - Stephen Curtis Chapman

Examine

A woman goes in for her annual mammogram. For her it's the same boring procedure she's always gone through. The same cold machine. Probably the same nurse too. The same radiologist has probably examined x-ray after x-ray after x-ray. The results are always the same. At least they were. Until she got a call saying they would like to re-take her x-ray . . . just to be sure. Gulp!

What must go through a woman's mind when she gets a call like that? Does she start thinking about her life and all of the people who really matter to her? Does she think about her children? Our mind can take us all kinds of places when we receive news of a life-changing nature.

The woman's mammogram had indeed revealed a tiny lump. Surgery was quickly scheduled. Time is important! The doctor removed the lump and it was examined. Benign! Whew!! Thank God!!! Then her life returns to normal. She goes on doing what she has always done. Except that NOW she keeps a more watchful eye on things, examining herself more frequently than she did before. And perhaps she appreciates life more now than she once did.

Life.

Examining ourselves is an important part of a Christian's life too but we don't seem to spend a lot of time doing that. We tend to just go on assuming things are okay, like a woman who never examines herself or gets a mammogram. We go to church and we believe there is a God, and we toss up a prayer once in a while when we need to. Otherwise we consider ourselves to be spiritually healthy. But are we?

God's word tells us that we are to examine ourselves.

"5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! 6 I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test. 7 But we pray to God that you may not do wrong—not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed. 8 For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. 9 For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. Your restoration is what we pray for. 10 For this reason I write these things while I am away from you, that when I come I may not have to be severe in my use of the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down." - 2 Corinthians 13:5-10

When Paul wrote that letter to the Corinthians he was writing to a people group who were still living their sinful lifestyle as if nothing was wrong.

"21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen." -Romans 1: 21-25

Unfortunately, we humans do not come with warning devices that sound an alarm when we're about to do something stupid. We just go ahead and do them and the regret it later. Or worse, we just keep doing stupid things.

Before I became a believer I did stupid things. I can see that now. At the time I didn't think anything about the idolatry, the self-worship. But now, through the lens of God's Holy Spirit, my sinful nature seems rather obvious, looking back.

Reading God's Word, The Bible, is life changing for new believers and unbelievers alike. God uses His Word to convict us and we begin to examine ourselves, hopefully taking steps to correct the wrongs.

God's Word is the perfect mirror. Read it. Then take a look iat yourself. See anything that doesn't line up with scripture? Get rid of it. It's called repentance. We are told to "walk in the light as He is in the light" (1 John 1:7) How are we doing with that? Take a step back and examine yourself. I try to do that every day by reading His Word and comparing what I do in this world with what Jesus did. I will never match His standard, but I promise I will never give up trying to do so.

Consider Jesus' sacrifice on the cross . . . for you, then try to do otherwise.

I encourage you to watch this video. It's long but very convicting. Then examine yourself, as the Bible says, and take a step closer to leading a humble life, dedicated to Christ, not the example this world sets for us. We are called to be holy, set apart (1 Peter1:16). Make today be the first day YOU walk in the light. Come out of the darkness . . . and live.

Examine Yourselves by Paul Washer