My dear daddy passed into eternal life on the third day of 2016.
About four or five years prior to his death at 91 from pneumonia, I sat by his hospital bed following his light stroke, outlining his eulogy. He’d lived quite a life: An orphan at 9, a prisoner of war for four years, a community leader for much of his adult years. Having that outline allowed me to flesh out my eulogy after he passed.
I also wrote his obituary that day by his bed, leaving a space for the date he would enter into God’s presence.
When I shared this obituary with his pastor, the pastor–who’d ministered so beautifully to my father during his years at our home church–suggested I add to the obituary that my father passed into the more immediate presence of God.
Think about that… entering into the more immediate presence of our Savior… the true Source of life, the ultimate Source of love, the Alpha and the Omega. What a beautiful vision!
I think about that phrase alot– entering into the more immediate presence of God.
In my Christian faith, I believe the Spirit resides within me, that God surrounds me, that I experience His presence in others.
I see Jesus in
- the woman with few financial resources who donates her time serving the homeless
- the Holy Yoga participant who lies on her mat in rest, singing praises to God
- the pastor who has the courage to speak the message of the gospels and not to curry favor with his congregants
- the teen who has that “aha” moment, that epiphany when a shaft of light from the gospel penetrates her brain that previously only knew OF the Lord
I want to see Jesus
- in friends who teeter on the brink of acceptance, but hesitate to step over the threshold of commitment
- make His presence and His commands known in churches that are preaching a watered down or fluffed up gospel message
- stir the hearts of those who have promoted or bought into a prosperity gospel message
- heal those whose hearts are hurting… for whatever reason
I don’t see Jesus in
- the heavily filled and Botoxed woman with a big, blingy cross necklace saying she’s a Christian. I’d rather see Jesus revealed through her actions, not her bling and words
- the pastor of the megachurch who preaches a prosperity gospel and whose flock–largely in their beater cars–are paying their tithes while their minister enjoys his swanky home with all the bells and whistles
- politics. Our faith and our morals certainly guide us in our choices and votes, but my personal opinion is let’s leave Him out of what is increasingly becoming a widening gulf of differences
Jesus gave us two commandments: To love God with all of our being and to love our neighbor as ourselves.
God–Father, Son, and Spirit–is love, and all who live in love, live in God.
In my most recent Bible study session, the author of the study I am doing spoke about us–all of us who are believers–standing face to face with the Lord in His presence after we take our last earthly breath. What will He say to me? To you?
How have we BEEN Him to others? How well have we loved and shown His love?
I don’t know about you, but I have some work to do: To love better. To BE better. To be Him to others.
I want people to see Jesus in me, as I look to Him.
Amen and amen.
Amy Walton is a certified grief coach, Registered Yoga Teacher and certified Holy Yoga instructor, Christian author and speaker who thinks about Jesus alot. She ponders God and life as she experiences nature, leans into His Word, and sees Him in others. Connect with her at amywaltoncoaching@gmail.com or at www.holygrounding.com.
