Pastor's Corner
June 2004
"Even in laughter the heart may be in pain,
And the end of joy may be grief."
Proverbs 14:13
We often use the phrase "an emotional roller coaster" to describe events in our lives where our emotions run the gamut from "high to low" and everything in between. That is somewhat where I am today as I write this article. Last week I was part of the funeral service for a wonderful Christian woman named Margaret Mouser (mother of Mark Mouser from our church). There was the emotional "low" which comes from the grief of seeing such a wonderful family say good-bye for now to a wife, mother, grandmother and faithful friend. My tears mingled with theirs as we laid her body to rest. Then came this last weekend where we (Jeanelle and I) traveled to California to the joyous wedding of my nephew. There was the "high" of seeing the wedding, visiting with family and even getting to love on the newest member of our family, a grand-nephew born just 3 months ago! Truly these are special moments in a family! My joy and laughter and love mingled with those who are so precious to me in my family.
Then on the day we were to leave to come home to Idaho I received the call telling me that one of our young men in the church, Lucas Attebery, just 22 years old, was missing and presumed drowned in a canal near Emmett. The "roller coaster" plunged as my heart went out to Lucas's family. On returning to Idaho the week has been filled with waiting as the search for Lucas turned into a recovery effort. As I met with the family and eventually went with them to identify the body of our brother in Christ, my tears mingled with theirs as they had to let go of one so young with so much of life ahead of him. They know and I know he is with Jesus but the grief still comes.
Solomon in writing Proverbs did not have a metaphor of "an emotional roller coaster" to turn to as God inspired his writing. He simply stated the truth. Life has laughter, joy, happiness to celebrate! But at the end of that joy, grief can be just around the corner! In fact the reality is that we live in the shadow of grief that stalks us all because we live here, on earth, in a fallen world. We are aliens, pilgrims and travelers on our way to our true citizenship in heaven! It is only that perspective that will allow us to live life with the joy and the grief. Ultimately we know that the promise of Jesus is that death is conquered, grief is erased and tears are wiped away.
Like ocean waves, emotions come and go. The roller coaster runs its course. But what holds it on the track and indeed holds us together is the presence and love of Jesus who "never leaves us and never forsakes." He is the God of our joy and the God of our grief. We hang on in the "ups and downs" because He hangs on to us. As another wise man said in words from the Lord:
"Weeping may last for the night,
but a shout of joy comes in the morning."
Psalm 30:5
The "morning" of God's peace and grace and love is where the "coaster" of the Christian will always end-up!
Serving with you,
