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Posted on 02/17/2020 5:54:48 PM PST by laurenmarlowe
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Bible in a Year:
Though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.
Bart Millard penned a megahit in 2001 when he wrote, “I Can Only Imagine.” The song pictures how amazing it will be to be in Christ’s presence. Millard’s lyrics offered comfort to our family that next year when our seventeen-year-old daughter, Melissa, died in a car accident and we imagined what it was like for her to be in God’s presence.
But imagine spoke to me in a different way in the days following Mell’s death. As fathers of Melissa’s friends approached me, full of concern and pain, they said, “I can’t imagine what you’re going through.”
Their expressions were helpful, showing that they were grappling with our loss in an empathetic way—finding it unimaginable.
David pinpointed the depth of great loss when he described walking through “the darkest valley” (Psalm 23:4). The death of a loved one certainly is that, and we sometimes have no idea how we’re going to navigate the darkness. We can’t imagine ever being able to come out on the other side.
But as God promised to be with us in our darkest valley now, He also provides great hope for the future by assuring us that beyond the valley we’ll be in His presence. For the believer, to be “away from the body” means being present with Him (2 Corinthians 5:8). That can help us navigate the unimaginable as we imagine our future reunion with Him and others.
What’s the best thing you can say to friends who’ve suffered the loss of someone they loved? How can you prepare for those times?
Thank You, God, for being with us even in the darkest valley as we imagine the glories of heaven.
For hope, read Life After Loss at discoveryseries.org/cb131.
Thanks, unique, for the road trippers!
~ Road Trip: Vandenberg Air Force Base, California ~
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I will be there next week. Looking forward to it.
Hi Ma!
*HUGS*
Good evening, JJ...((HUGS))...one of our volunteer firefighters in Arroyo Grande was a full-time firefighter at Vandenberg. He got us all onto the base for a tour of their fire equipment. WOW! Their engines taking care of aircraft were huge! It was impressive.
Hope you have nice weather...it’s beautiful country. We could see, from Arroyo, when they had missile launches.
You going there TDY or a new assignment?
Good evening, Mayor, and thank you for today’s sustenance for body and soul.
Hope work went well on this Monday and your back stayed warm.
In Las Vegas last night. Tug driver lined up on the wrong line. Get what ya pay for. Wing walker was probably on his phone making a drug deal. lol. A few cancellations for shur. This was my plane now stuck in Vegas, sigh
Good evening, Pro...they launch cool missiles from Vandenberg. I could see the trails from when I lived further up the coast.
Good evening, Janey…((HUGS))...YIKES!!!!
I’m betting the passengers were happy they were already on the ground when they heard tearing metal!! And watching it happen outside your window had to be scary!
Sure did mess up two planes. Did they bring in a new plane from Denver? Are YOU stuck in Vegas?
Hiya Kathy, I knew you lived in Cali a long time ago.
Thank you
It was decent day, sun shining and 34
Thank you so much for this testimony...
Words cannot communicate the undesribable depth and raw pain you have endured.
I know this pain.
God really does know this pain... Your pain.
And yes, as a believer, I am so thankful your Melissa is with the One who gave her human life, Who so carefully and lovingly crafted her, and Who loved her so much, He bought her with His life!
II Corinthians 5:8
And as Paul also communicated, he would have preferred to leave this Earth, to be with his Savior.
Some day very soon, we will see Jesus, and He will wipe away our tears, and we will see all of our family and friends who belonged to Him!
Hai! - nobody was on board as the plane was being towed to the gate; Denver is trying to find a spare so in the meantime I’m in a hotel downtown with the crew waiting word. My duty day and flight time is just about over so can’t start until tomorrow.
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