Nestled in the Woods

Today we mourn the dead.
Unlike the one we lay to rest,
Our grief lives on beyond this test;
We hold the memories to our breast
Each future step we tread.

We grieve in different ways …
With tears or silence or regret;
With normal functions all upset;
With thoughts of what we should forget;
Not knowing what to say.

We who are left behind
Must grapple with mortality.
The fallen leave a legacy
That all will face eternity …
Nor can death be declined.

If we can understand
That Purpose guides experience,
And when it seems as little sense
That life is cut at great expense
There is a Higher Hand.

No death is met in vain,
For there are never accidents
In God’s all-perfect Providence …
He makes no selfish ordinance,
But rather timeless gain.

We say our last “adieu”,
Yet we who meet to pay respect
Would face a certain grim prospect
That by the Sovereign Architect
Next meet for me or you.

The following occurred to me while driving the roads during our recent snowy events: I need to drive in accordance to my religious beliefs. No, I do not mean that I should feel guilty if I go a couple of miles over the speed limit, or if I make an unintentional minor infraction of driving regulations. What I mean by the statement is that I should drive understanding that, yes, I have a license to drive, but the license does not assure me that I will be safe or that I will arrive at my destination. My license says that the Department of Motor Vehicles has allowed me to drive as licensed in our state. I’m legal; I belong. If I drive according to the rules of driving and safety, I will not be compromising my chances of arriving at my destination safely. As well, I do not necessarily have to drive safely in order to arrive safely, but of course it is expected of me. There is no assurance that safe driving will keep me safe. The truth is that out of respect for the law, the integrity of my driving character, and the effect on my fellow drivers and passengers, I drive safely. It is in the scope of Providence whether I arrive safely or end up in a ditch with my head wearing the steering wheel for a hat.
Although this is not a perfect analogy and may be a big stretch, I will carry it over to my religious beliefs to illustrate a point. Our eternal destiny is not dependent on whether we obey the Commandments, follow the Golden Rule, join the Church, or any other system of works. We can do all these things and remain lost from God…never arrive at our hoped for destination. Our goodness will not redeem us. On the other hand, we can’t look back to a single act on our part of shaking hands with the preacher, being baptized, or signing a pledge card, and then go about with a life unchanged and continuing a life of pleasure and self-serving. Some say, “OK, I accepted Jesus as my Savior, but I’m not ready for Him to be my Lord.” That is like getting a license to drive and then driving irresponsibly.
When we come to faith in Christ, the true way to live is to live to our best ability and knowledge of the Scriptures because we have reverence for the Savior, because we know it will give us a fullness of joy in our lives, and because it will be an influence on the world around us.
The big difference between having a driver’s license and being right with God is in the faith placed in the heart of a believer by God’s Holy Spirit. When we pass our driver’s test or renew our license, there is no faith involved. The analogy stops here. There are no permanent driver’s licenses, but God calls us, loves us eternally, brings us to faith, and preserves us until we reach our ultimate destination.

The new book “Soar Above the Yesterdays” is with the publisher.  Target date for availability will be within 2 months.  I’ll keep you posted.

Soar Above the Yesterdays, a sequel to All Things, brings Susanna Elder more life-changing decisions with romance, history, and mystery.  Old characters are revisitied and new ones introduced.  What mystery does her antique desk reveal? Susanna finds two paths in front of her; which one will she take.  Does she follow her dream of a career in music, or will Providence lead her in a different direction?  What hope for a future lies in the path of a single mother of twins?