We better get our stuff figured out.
I had the honor of being with both my paternal grandparents when they went home to see Jesus. Although physical death is ugly, I listened to my Poppa whispering scripture and pointing at angels before he died. My Nanny was circled by her family praying and singing. What a gift to have that last chance to say the words sitting on your heart. Not all people die this way. I may not die this way. My husband’s brother died at 20 years old in a car crash. No time for a last minute goodbye or I love you.
You could argue, God allowing someone to die without the opportunity for goodbye is cruel; proof that we bow to an unloving God. But isn’t this just a way to take the blame off us and point it elsewhere? Is God really denying us the chance to say how we feel, because he keeps hidden from us the date and time of our death?
What about TODAY? What about the past 10, 20, 30, 40 years we’ve been walking this earth? The last 20 minutes I’ve been typing, every single breath I’ve taken during this time…a gift. Every second lived on earth, is one more chance to speak life into those you love. It’s arrogance that argues, ‘what if we don’t have a chance to tell people how we feel?’
Bull honky. Yes, I just said Bull Honky.
We need to take a step back, dust off the timid words tucked away in the crevices of our hearts, and release them like roaring waves onto the people we love.
We have some major responsibility here; it’s serious. We can’t pass the buck on this one. God gave us a tongue; we can use it for life or death. (Proverbs 18:21) Let’s use it for LIFE while we still have our life here on earth.
I know I have stuff of my own to get figured out. There are people I need to unleash some crazy love talk on. I admit, I have a small fear it may come across as awkward timing. After all, I’m not on my deathbed or anything; but I will be someday. We can’t let fear and pride hold us back. We need to move out of the way and make room for God’s love.
In some relationships, this may be easier said than done.
I’d tell her I love her, but I resent her for…
I’ll say sorry AFTER he says sorry.
Who is choosing to carry resentment around? What if he dies before he says sorry? We are not children of the world anymore! We have to recognize these worldly strongholds and allow truth to strike them down. We cannot do it on our own, I know this.
Broken trust cuts deep. God’s forgiveness runs deeper.
Take it to Him: the hurt, the fear the pride. Lay it at his feet and pray his forgiveness overflows into our broken relationships. Pray his forgiveness rushes into those dusty heart crevices and fills them up…forcing out the unspoken words we need to tell others.
Forgiving one another does not take time, it takes God.
Only God can teach us to forgive. It is supernatural. We need to pray for the power to forgive, as if we were praying for a broken bone to heal with no cast. We have injured one another and we need a miracle to heal us. That is what true forgiveness is: a miracle. After the forgiveness comes, we pray for the courage to speak love with boldness. I am talking; I might die tomorrow so I have to tell you something, boldness!
For God did not give us a spirit of fear. He gave us a spirit of power and of love and of a good mind. 2 Timothy 1:7
My anthem song for the week:
You can’t buy my silence, you can’t steal my voice
You can’t keep me quiet, I will bring the noise
Try to beat me down, tell me to shut my mouth
But there’s a time to speak and the time is now
‘The Time is Now’
-Warren Barfield
Truth spoken. Yes! May we speak God’s love with boldness as though today is our last. Keep shining, friend. He uses you in profound ways.