Smiles Through Tears

As most of you know, our friend Lindy Ver Beek has been diagnosed with stage IV brain cancer. This has obviously sparked many discussions, tears, prayers, and has been on the forefront of our minds for the past week. (Please join me in praying for the Ver Beeks, trusting God to fill them with LIFE. www.verbeekblog.com)

Last night, Karri and I took the kids to a concert at Central Wesleyan... the singer was Jana Alayra, and she sang so many great songs about the hope & victory we have in Christ. She was very upbeat and full of smiles, dancing, and invited the kids to participate in singing and dancing to Jesus. Then at one point in the night, she asked all the kids to sit down and she shared about her 4 children and how one of her daughters only lived a short time on this earth; she was killed in a car accident when she was 4 years old. Then she shared about how her daughter is living now in heaven and we can have that promise and hope, too, when Jesus is our Savior. Jana then said a beautiful prayer for the kids.

Anna, with her tender heart, had much to say about this afterwards (and was in tears). She asked me: "Mom, how can she sing and dance and smile when her daughter is dead?"

Wow! This sparked a great time of discussion and prayer about heaven, hope, and the LIFE we have in Jesus... life that goes on forever in heaven with Him. NOTHING can separate us from His love! And this HOPE is an anchor for our souls, and gives us hope, even when we go through very, very hard times in life.

We talked about the "joy unspeakable" that we have in Christ, and sang together a song that the kids learned earlier this summer at VBS:

"Joy unspeakable that won't go away
Just enough strength to live for today
And I never have to worry what tomorrow will bring,
Cause my faith is on solid rock, I'm counting on God."

From Psalm 42:5
"Why are you downcast, o my soul?
Why do disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him,
My savior and my God."

I'm so thankful that... only through the life we have in Christ... we can have smiles through the tears.