An Incredible Promise

January 7, 2024 — Laura House

For those of us who have lost someone dear, the Christmas season seems to be filled with additional memories. Although they are often bittersweet, I’m grateful for those memories.

This year, we ended up with illness over the Christmas week and we weren’t able to get together with family until New Year’s Day. Since we couldn’t make any new memories on Christmas day, there were troves of old memories that I enjoyed thinking about.

I remembered the Christmas pageants that our kids performed for us each year. Often we would be at a grandparent’s house, with cousins available to be part of the show. The little kids were shepherds, while the older ones filled in the more “important” roles, with actual lines to speak and Scriptures to read. How grateful I am for the plethora of memories surrounding Christmas!

Memories of my mom have also been very present this season and I miss her tremendously. Christmas was such a special time for her. She loved her family fiercely, and her grandchildren were the delight of her soul. She poured into each person with all she had. When I think of the traditions that we implemented with our children, many of them came from my mom.

Of all the memories locked into the storage units of my brain, one of my favorites is thinking of the love my kids had (and still have) for each other. When they were young, countless hours were spent playing together. They were each other's best friends. From “The Boxcar Children”, where they pretended to be orphans and had extravagant adventures, to playing “little people” in the sandbox, which used small wooden and plastic figures, the kids loved being together. Nothing was more warming to my mom-heart than hearing their joyous play. 

Like all siblings, there were occasional squabbles, but always an apology and reconciliation; then they were off to play together again, as best friends. Their friendships continued into adulthood, and when Nathan went to Heaven, the loss was profound. 

As grateful as I am for the memories, I am even more grateful that before too long, I won’t be relying on sweet memories of those I love. And the same is true with you. 

Because Jesus came, because He redeemed us through His death on the cross, if we repent of our sin and accept Him as Lord and Savior, we will live in eternity with Jesus and those who have gone before us — so many, many people we love and can’t wait to see.

What an incredible promise!

In John 14:1-3, Jesus says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

Revelation 21:4 - “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”