Welcome to the devotional day number three,
Death and Resurrection.
Arthur Schopenhauer says,
Every parting gives a foretaste of death.
Every reunion a hint of the resurrection.
Meditation My dear childhood friend died last year.
She was surrounded by family and friends.
I knew only that she was in intensive care,
But about two hours after she died in Germany,
I suddenly felt her presence.
I texted her and her family.
I felt the need to reach out to them.
I then learned that was exactly the time when her friends and family were saying goodbye to her,
My friend.
The spirit works in amazing ways.
One day later,
A close friend of mine,
Who I had not seen for many months or years,
Emailed me.
She was in town with her family and wanted to see me and my family.
We met in a restaurant and spent three hours together.
It was so healing to see each other.
My daughters teased me that I had a bestie.
It felt like the universe took away one of my beloved friends and then sent me another beloved to comfort me.
The Bible verse from 1 Corinthians 6,
Verse 14 Now God has not only raised Jesus,
But will also raise us up through his power.
I'm saying a prayer.
God of death and God of resurrection,
I pray for all who have lost loved ones in this past season,
For all who mourn and feel deeply saddened.
Be our comfort.
Be our strength.
And send us your messengers of love and of hope of resurrection.
Raise our very hearts up to you.
Hold us all,
Living and deceased,
In your care and in your never-ending love.
Amen.