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| "Transition!" |
His Joy---My Joy---Our Joy!
“If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am
going to the Father,’ for My Father is
greater than I.” (Jn.14:28)
In reading this passage from John’s gospel, I was
unexpectedly made aware of a new reason to rejoice. What is that reason? Simply this: the Lord
Yeshua (Jesus), Savior of my soul and Redeemer of all mankind, is with His
Father in Heaven, alive forever, His joy fulfilled!
I’m not sure why this thought---one I had never had before---was
so meaningful to me. Perhaps it’s
because I’m in a season of transition in my life. (Of course, that is true of us all, to some
extent.)
The passing of my mom, Florence Goetz, has had a deep impact
on me. I’ve heard it said: ‘No one loves
you like your mother!’ I have some sense
of that in these days. Though my mom and
I agreed on almost nothing, (except the importance of Israel,) we had a loving
relationship. I like to say she thought
‘I hung the moon’----but was constantly telling me how I could have hung it a
little better! Though there is no lack
of love in my life---thanks be to God---I can feel, at an almost molecular level,
the loss of one for whom I, (along with my siblings,) was the center of the
universe. At the risk of sounding
narcissistic---I miss it---and had no idea I would! (Perhaps that’s why I’ve
yet to remove her name and number from my phone!)
For 23 years, Jenny and I have had our world revolving
around a little girl, now a young lady, named Misha. Though the center of our universe is God
Himself, we are constantly conscious of her gravitational pull! And now, into her orbit has come Joshua, a
wonderful young man to whom she is now engaged!
A little over a year after burying my mother, I will be
marrying off my daughter! (I can almost
hear Tevye singing a new lyric to his song from ‘Fiddler on the Roof’:
‘Transition…Transition…TRANSITION!’) I’m
not embarrassed to admit I find it all a bit emotionally overwhelming.
Perhaps that’s why the idea of Jesus, risen, alive, and at
the right hand of His Father--- a place He occupies throughout eternity---is so
comforting, and a fresh and surprising source of joy. Things in this life change rapidly, unexpectedly,
inexorably. Nothing stays the same and,
with each turn of our world, we face an unknown future; unknown to us, but not
to God!
In the passage I quoted, Yeshua is telling His followers, in
essence, that He knew where He came from and where He was going. To accomplish His transition from earth to
heaven, He had to endure unimaginable suffering; rejection, hatred, betrayal,
crucifixion and, worst of all, separation from His Father on the cross! (Ps.22)
Another passage puts it in perspective: “Jesus…for the joy that was set before Him
endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of
the throne of God.” (Heb. 12:2)
Considering what He did for me---for all of us---I am, quite
simply, happy for HIM! More than any one
who ever lived, he DESERVES that joy!
Yet, He also prayed for that joy to be shared with those who do NOT
deserve it; people such as you and I!
“But now I
come to You, and these things I speak in the world,
that they
may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.”
(Jn.17:13)
Perhaps I was receiving some of that joy in thinking about
My Lord being forever with His Father.
In the midst of a life in which I think so much about myself, it was
refreshing, if only for a brief moment, to share in HIS happiness, His
gladness!
It has been often said: ‘I know not what the future holds,
but I know who holds the future.’
Our future---those of us who believe in Him---is to be ever
with our heavenly Father and His Son, Yeshua, our Messiah. Now THAT’s some transition!
And---in the midst of the uncertainties of this life---that
certainty brings me joy!
May the JOY of the Lord be YOUR strength in these days!!
Shalom,
Peace,
Marty
Posts
Thank you Marty for this blog. We are excited to see this and may we say AMEN to your post.
ReplyDeleteAs far a loosing your mother - we are very sorry for your loss. Yet you will be gaining a son, Praise God.
Several years ago my mother, Beverly Kandrick, wrote a poem about her mother, my beloved grandmother, in whom I was very close to. Every time I would read it, it brought tears to my eyes. Then one day, I decided I would submit it to "Birds and Blooms" magazine in which it went over very big, and was published on the back cover. My mother got so many phone calls and got to talk to so many people that lost their mother. I hope you don't mind, but I would like to share it with you - perhaps your mother was the same way:
Mother's Garden
My mother loved the flowers
each season brought new blooms.
With joy she'd plant, and till, and weed
it chased away her glooms
She knew the names of all she tended
a master of her trade.
Her hands were strong and knew no wrong
the best God ever made.
She tried to teach me all she knew
but little did I care
for if I needed flowers
my mother would be there
My mother loved her flowers
'til heaven she did go
Where growing season never end
and blooms just grow and grow.
And I now tend the flowers
A love that's real and true
For when I'm in my garden, Mom
I'm closest there to you.
by Beverly Batten Kandrick
God bless you all during this 'transition" in your lives!
Shalom
Kellee Strunk
Thank you so much for sharing. I love that you are so giving of yourself!
ReplyDeleteCarla Bjork - Let It Grow
Marty, Marty, Marty,
ReplyDeleteYou had me in tears. I understand what you mean missing your mom more than you ever imagined - for you are right - you were the center of her universe.
There is a 'transition' especially your being Misha's 'daddy' - for there is 'another' man in her life - one she will listen to and respect. However, her daddy will always be, deep within her heart, her BIG protector, with The Lord, who will pray and watch over her with every breath her daddy takes. You also gain a son - one who will turn to you for advise - and for love with understudying … and Josh will be your friend :) After all - you know Misha in a 'way' that Josh is about to discover because you and Jenny lived with Misha … and know her as only a mom and dad know their child. That is a wonderful gift from God that will always be!
You touched my heart … Thank You, Lord, for opening the eyes of Marty and Jenny, as Jews, to know You as You Are - and for Marty to have entered into Your JOY, if only for a 'moment in time, being TOGETHER With Your Father, and our Father, FOREVER XO Thank you, Marty, for sharing this special Blog - Jenny was right, I thank you, Jen, for encouraging everyone to read it xo
Sunrise,sunset...But what happens in between are the days and years of our earthly exsistence,and God be praised, we can take our loved ones with us into eternity and we have the amazing hope that when the sun sets on our life, we will see face to face Yeshua, our Saviour and Lord, and we shall all be together for eternity. Thank you for the heartfelt words.
ReplyDeleteDear Marty, I truly was close to tears reading this. My heart goes out to you about the passing of your mother. I followed your Facebook page during the time your mother was in the hospital. My mother passed away in May 2008, at the age of 86. She suffered from Epilepsy, Dementia and Leukemia,but the Lord was her Shepherd. I, too, am going through another transition. My youngest daughter is now in university as of last August, and my older daughter moved out just before Christmas. I've been separated from my unbelieving husband for nearly seven years. I've had cancer, and various other diseases and surgeries, and now have type 1 diabetes, but am truly thankful to the Lord for my life and many, many blessings. I've always had problems with change and transition in my life. I have lived in six countries for twenty-six years, learned different languages, adapted to those countries, but the changes in my own personal life are the ones that I have difficulty dealing with. The fact that our Lord is in Heaven, on the right hand of God at this very minute, and knows all our misery and also our happiness is something that we all need to remind ourselves of every day. The more we go to the Lord with our problems, and the more we truly rely upon Him for our comfort and needs, and the happier we will become. If we get too involved in the world, it takes us away from our focus on the Lord. Just think---as believers, we will spend eternity with our Saviour, who died for us because He loved us so much. As a human, I can't imagine why God loved me so much, but we are not God, we cannot know His ways or even fathom His love.
ReplyDeleteMarty, I know without a doubt that joy comes in the morning. The Son shall rise and there will be no more tears no more sorrow. Our time here is short we have much to do for the Lord and I believe He has within you new songs never yet heard. I believe there are songs of the Lord that are waiting to come through gifted persons as yourself to a world still in need of a Messiah and those who have not yet experienced Him in a deep and loving way that only music can bring.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing I for one am praying He will use you!
Beautiful!!! Thanks for sharing. .. God Bless you and your family. ...
ReplyDeleteSo it goes the circle of life. For me a grandchild was born and within a month my Mother died, then two grandmothers, an Uncle and Marc, my husband passed. Two years later my Father in Law died, then two children married and my Father went to be with the Lord. There was joy and sadness, ups and downs but the one stable sure thing was Yeshua was always there. For many years it was just me and my two children, then Marc joined us as a family. Then it went back to just me and the kids. Now there are 12 of us, me, two grown kids, spouses and 7 grandchildren.
ReplyDeleteMy deepest sympathy to you and your family for the loss of your Mom. I pray for comfort and strength for you and yours. Congratulations on the upcoming marriage of your beloved daughter ;again prayers for comfort and strength as life unfolds the many blessings our Lord has yet to show you. Thank you for your ministry your humor your music and your compassion.
ReplyDeleteBarbara Edwards