Janie and I just returned from a vacation with part of our family. Brook and her three kids along with Erin, Trey and Wyatt joined us in a trip to Nosara, Costa Rica. Yeah, I did not know where it was either. Some would ask us “What part of Costa Rica are you going to?” I showed my geographical ignorance…I did not know where we were going or that there were parts! Turns out we were on the West Coast, right where the beautiful mountains and the jungle meets the Pacific Ocean. Like always, it was a joy to be there and to enjoy another part of God’s beautiful creation. But it is twice the joy to be back home! Thank you to all who make this kind of a trip possible by covering all the bases while we are gone.
The week before we left for vacation, my brother called to tell us he was diagnosed with stage 4 liver cancer and that it had metastasized to other parts of his body. The outlook is not good. If the doctors are right, he has 4 to 6 months to live. If Kathie is right, maybe not quite that long. So, Janie and I met my sister and went to spend some time with Bubba and Kathie. They live in Newport, NC. We hoped to bring some sort of positive to a negative situation. My sweet Janie was so very helpful in helping them work through all their legal issues like wills, power of attorney, medical POA, etc. By the way, do you have a will, a Power of Attorney, a Healthcare POA? If not, do yourself and your family a favor and have them drawn up. The truth is that we all have an ending date, all of us have an appointed day to die. We choose to live our lives not looking at death but rather looking at life. But the date will come, unless Jesus returns first.
One day, there will be no more death, no more sorrow, no more tears. Until then, we deal with the penalty and consequence of sin, death. Our hearts cry in times of sorrow is like a call for that day when death will be no more. Until then, “The Lord is my Shepherd…”
See you this Sunday, Good Lord willing!
Pastor Tom
