[Dailydevo] Daily Devotion Wednesday March 28, 2007

[Barry Ludwig]

Daily Devotion Wednesday March 28, 2007

As a pastor, I walk the hallways of local hospitals on a regular basis. In
the last years, I have been fascinated by the type of eye contact (or lack
thereof) that takes place as I pass people in those hallways of joy and
sorrow. I have begun to categorize different  types of "eyes."

 

Revelation 21:4  - Tearful eyes

"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no  more,
neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for  the
former things have passed away."  

 

     "I'm sorry," she said to me as we stood together at the deathbed of her
husband. "Why?" I asked. "I know that I should be crying but I just can't."
"You have already shed a lifetime of tears," I said referring to her years
of caring for a wonderful man with a terrible illness, Lou Gehrig's disease.
"When more are needed, they will come."  And come they did.

     Pastors are accustomed to tearful eyes. We are not uncomfortable in
their presence and we do not feel the need to find the magic words to make
them go away.  Tears are as appropriate as smiles in our daily living. There
are two truths about tearful eyes that are resident in the Christian faith:

One: Tears will come,  but not without the loving one who created the ducts
from which they come. Christians do not believe in an earthly life free from
pain and loss. They do believe in an earthly life where God is powerfully
present in Jesus Christ.

Two: We hold firm to a promise that the days are coming when God will wipe
all tears from our eyes. It is for that day that the ancient church
proclaimed "maranatha!"  Come soon, O Lord.

 

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