How do we best glorify the Lord during times of turmoil, unrest, topsy-turvy worldviews, and uncertainty? We stand on the Rock of Christ with His peace, love, and joy within us, our lights on a lampstand showing the world that there is a Way for them, too, if they want it.
As October 11 is the 6-year mark of Dr. Michael Wells’ departure to heaven, I hope you will allow me to share some reflections! For the past several years in the face of seeing the Lord call home so many of His lovelies, I have seen that we who are left behind are privileged. Believers go through trials in abundance, and I believe it is because the Lord is preparing us for the end times, the end of this age about which He told us so much. At the very least He is preparing us—as He has believers in every generation–for whatever is ahead. Losing a family member or any loved one is the crash course in that. Under the severe pain of the loss, we diligently seek the presence of the Lord (He has never been far away, indeed, closer than our next breath and thought, but we get busy and distracted and neglectful of Him). We turn our hearts more heavenward. In that way, the loss (which we know is not a permanent loss, but just for this time) shows us how very blessed we are as God’s people that He would put us in the situation where we had to sink or swim, drown in sorrow and meaninglessness or rise above the depths by seeking Him for His comfort and clarity and Truth. That’s where the privilege comes in, that Christ Jesus so longs for intimacy with us as His children that He will use the departure of a loved one–who had come to the end of his allotted days on earth–to draw us near to His presence. Would our dearly departed loved one have chosen to be the one to get to fly to the very presence of the Lord in order to bless all of us remaining on earth through our growing more deeply in our awareness of the Lord’s presence with us? I know he or she would volunteer to be the grain of wheat that falls to the earth and dies to bear much fruit (John 12:24). It is a privilege for him/her and a privilege for those of us still left on earth, awaiting our time to fly. Everything in our life in Christ is a privilege if we have eyes of faith to see it. God is increasing our faith through trials as we look to Him for the resolution. Everything is for us. As pal James Hicks has so often said, “We win!”
By the way, the above paragraph applies also to friends and family who drift naturally away from us in the normal course of life, or perhaps they have left after betrayal, malicious gossip and slander, disinterest, or dislike. I believe God is in all of our earthly partings, and in each one we and the others involved have a lot to gain from Him as we take up our crosses and follow Him. Does anyone remember the old hymn “What A Friend We Have In Jesus”? One bit said, “Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer! In His arms He’ll take and shield thee, thou wilt find a solace there.” Yes, folks, once again, we are to see our Lord in every single situation in our lives, settled in the fact that we only have what He gives us, and that includes friends and family members. Hopefully that will encourage some of you today. Thank you, as always, for your friendship as together we serve the Lord Jesus Christ.
Mrs. Betty Wells
Abiding Life Ministries International
http://www.abidinglife.com
ANOINTED TO SERVE - Miriam Jacob 
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