Yesterday I received an email from my brother about his ex-wife. When I saw the subject box with her name I had a feeling that he was going to share that she had passed away.
As I read his letter I began to weep and even now I am beginning to cry. Rhonda was a hard woman who desperately wanted to be loved. I remember watching her abuse my brother once and I remember the conversation I had with him. She had cheated on him and would leave for weeks and months. My brother has since forgave her and her death has packed quit a blow to him. To make it more interesting, Rhonda died 3 years ago and this is the first that he found o
ut and for the first time he did not keep it to himself, he shared it with me, his sister.I honestly can hardly see to type as I think of how much she will be missed. As I type that my heart begins to mourn the loss. Not the “physical loss”, not that she will be missed here…I realize her family will miss her greatly here on this earth, but the "miss" I am referring to is "miss" for eternity. You see, Rhonda did not know the Lord. My brother’s comment was, “She was basically good, she just wanted to be loved.”
Okay, my tears are flowing because I know that a deep, desperate need does not "push you over the threshold of Heaven.” Only a relationship with Christ does.
Imagine, Rhonda was someone that God had created, pursued through time and to say that she will live apart from Him for eternity? That He had to look at her and say He never knew her because she refused His gift of salvation…..she is truly lost forever and my heart sobs out.As I sit here with my head throbbing from weeping and my eyes blurred with tears, I have this increased, new sense of urgency for my family, for my friends, and for those in our community who are just as desperate.
My brother shared with me what was placed on her stone and what was shared about her…this was it. When she was born, when she married, when she divorced, when she died.
I sat and looked at that in shock. Only dates. And my sobs of sorrow poured out again.
I realize this entry is nothing but my sobbing ramblings, however this message from my brother packed a huge punch and truth…especially as we, New Hope, are in the throws of building this “tool shed” to reach out community and beyond. Unity is key and taking hold of the commission given to us will truly make an impact for eternity.
I am reminded of a passage where Paul exhorted the believers of Colosse:
Colossians 2:6[ From the Shadows to the Substance ] "My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you've been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You're deeply rooted in him. You're well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you've been taught. School's out; quit studying the
subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving."
The time is truly now. How many more “Rhonda's" will be missed with only dates?
Challenge...what will you do today? Who are the "Rhonda's" in your life?
To learn more about Building New Hope go to: www.newhopewired.tv and click on Wooster Campus.
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