“Low in the grave He lay, Jesus my Savior, waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord…” I sang this hymn on Easter as a child and felt the depth of the words. It depicted the last days and events of Holy Week, the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. I felt the blueness of the…
Tag: Death and Dying
Every Pathway Led to Joy
“Through her masterful grasp of language, Bonnie imparts unique wisdom that can be learned only through trials, victories, and a life lived with steadfast faith.” —Nic Lesmeister, Executive Pastor, Gateway Church Every page of this book carries both joy and struggle. I didn’t write from ideology but from living, learning, and trusting God through it…
Language
Lofty thoughts, which become ideals and hopefully–actions like forgiveness, freedom, liberty, holiness, purity, redemption, atonement, justice, retribution, love, kindness, patience, or equality begin as seeds planted in the souls of mankind by the Spirit of God hovering upon the treasure of the universe. As we mature to grapple–chew and swallow these, they break through concrete barriers with rapid force and power like…
Shelter
She moves with stealth behind the scenes of autumn, steadily edging toward the razor cold and lacy veil of ice and crystal. Then quietly she falls, winter’s glorious mystique reveals in a day. In layers, it descends and deeper it penetrates, much more than surface. The chill and snow seeps below. But not to spurn. It’s the season of fireside reflections,…
Terror and Beauty
I pause with reverence on the balcony of my hotel room in the Holy City. Across from me stands the New Gate, and my eyes follow Jerusalem’s ancient walls as far as I can see. The golden Dome of the Rock faintly gleams as dawn peaks its way up and over the horizon and walls….
The next time you want to shake your fist at God…
It is essential in our walk with God to understand him as a consuming fire. Most consider our Creator and his acts toward humankind to center around judgment or discipline. That he is ever-watching from heaven to smash our plans or even our lives. But the consuming fire of the Holy One of Israel and…
Slow-Smoked Meat
Outside the barbecue smokehouse, a tattered flag waves, “Tr*mp W0n.” Apparently this theory does not effect the good eats inside. “It takes time to get the flavor just right—you can’t hurry,” said the smokehouse owner with a slow southern drawl. People flock from miles around to tickle their palates with southern barbecue favorites. Not a…
Peering into the Dark
Peering into the Dark Friends and family line up orderly, row by row, to pay respect to the widow’s dead husband. Each peers and pauses with reverence. But the corpse is a mirror, reflecting every mourner’s face. That glimpse into the grave is deep and dark and universal, but only for a second. You can’t…
Delighting in What Remains…
Today is the anniversary of the death of my father-in-law. I am pondering this morning how we felt on this day last year. His death was bitter, but there was sweetness in his expiration from this realm to the next. And there was and is much joy in the knowledge that he is in heaven, and we will…
Bonnie Saul Wilks 