In You Death has Lost its Sting

 What if 26,500 suddenly died in our world? It would be all over the news and we would be heartbroken. What if I told you that happened yesterday. Oh and guess what it will again tomorrow. Over that amount die each day from preventable causes in third world countries and no one is doing anything about it.

I picked up the book “The Hole in Our Gospel” today and picked up where I left off at least a year ago. He went on to suggest that we really only care when this loss hits our circle. It’s too easy to dismiss the thought of a child dying in Africa. Yes, we pause for a moment with sadness, but our life continues on as normal. If our neighbor’s child was dying, would we do the same? What if it was your child? What would you do then?

26,500--- Read that again twenty six thousand five hundred (plus) people (mostly children) died each day—EACH DAY! But our lives continue as if nothing happened.

I think its perfect timing that I picked this book up today. The day I learned of a sixth child I knew die in the last month (not here at COTP at an orphanage in Port au Prince). I have had the blessing of getting to know these children and have the blessing of getting to see them again one day in heaven.

My heart broke for each one of these children. I hate that they were all so close and each child didn’t get their own time of grief and their own acknowledgement, but each one was loved. Because I was privileged enough to get to love on them and let them love on me, these children didn’t slip my mind. I wasn’t able to go on about my “normal” business—my heart broke.

Reading that statistic made my heart cringe. That’s the size of a small city, wiped out each day. What about those people who didn’t get to feel loved, the ones who didn’t have people whose lives where altered because of what happened, what about them?

Every person, man, women, or child deserves to be loved. They deserve to be buried with dignity. They deserve to know Jesus or at least feel his touch if they can’t comprehend who He is. How many of those 26,500 people never got that chance? What can you do to change that?

With all my heart I’m praising God that these children who I have grieved the loss of got to feel that. I’m praising God that they are with him, that they have no more pain, and that they don’t have to experience the sorrows and sin that this life brings.

The song Forever Reign by Hillsong is one that will always remind me of these babies. It was played at Malachi’s funeral and I’ve sang it two different group settings in the last week. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to listen to it without tears running down my face, but it offers so much truth.

You are good, You are good

When there's nothing good in me

You are love, You are love

On display for all to see

You are light, You are light

When the darkness closes in

You are hope, You are hope

You have covered all my sin
You are peace, You are peace

When my fear is crippling

You are true, You are true

Even in my wandering

 

You are joy, You are joy

You're the reason that I sing

You are life, You are life,

In You death has lost its sting

Oh, I'm running to Your arms,

I'm running to Your arms

The riches of Your love

Will always be enough

Nothing compares to Your embrace

Light of the world forever reign

You are more, You are more

Than my words will ever say

You are Lord, You are Lord

All creation will proclaim

You are here, You are here

In Your presence I'm made whole

You are God, You are God

Of all else I'm letting go

 

My heart will sing

no other Name

Jesus, Jesus

 

Jesus, in you death has lost its sting! You are good, you are love, you are light, you are hope, you are peace, you are true, you are LIFE, you are more, you are Lord, you are here, you are God. We need to constantly run into your arms because anywhere else we will fail.

 

Thank you God, for loving each of those 26,500 people. Thank you for being sad in our suffering and pain. Thank you for being all those things. Thank you for continually having your arms wide open for us to run into. Nothing compares to your embrace, thank you for showing us what it feels like to be there.

 

Death is not easy. I didn’t get over these losses in an instant. If you read my last blog, you could tell it was badly written, I couldn’t process the events at all.  God and I had a lot of arguments and wrestling matches. I didn’t know if I’d come out, but I knew I didn’t want to stay where I was. I knew God had greater plans and purposes, I just couldn’t see them. I needed to spend a lot of time with God, I needed encouragement from friends who, I believe, received it from God, I needed to reflect and to grieve.

 

I’m not over it. When I look in our little baby room and there are only four in there I miss the others. When I think about staying up most of the night, I miss the littles that stayed in our house. Throughout the day, every day I think about things that remind me of these precious gifts from Heaven, but I can rejoice that they are in a much better place now.

 

God has called his children home and we are blessed to have been a part of their life on earth. I’m looking forward to seeing a great welcoming committee when I get to join them in Heaven some day. What a party that will be J