TO LIVE

 

 

“Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

(Isaiah 40:28-31)

In all our suffering and stumbling in the dark we tend to turn to the ways of the world to fill us. We seek for the corruptible things of this earth that have no lasting power to fill our cracks, heal our sorrows and make up for our lack. We think that this dismal telestial world has treasures to offer us that will somehow make us whole. The truth is that the lustre of this world can only be seen during the day. When the night falls, the emptiness is still there, the pain exposed, the suffering unbearable.

If we would but drink from the fountain of living water that the Saviour offers us, we would be filled with that which matters most, that which is lasting, that which will speak peace to the deepest recesses of our soul. Then the suffering will be bearable and even conquerable. Then the lack will not matter and the cracks will diminish and fade. Then we can look forward to the living water within us springing up into everlasting life.

 

Thou art the source of all my blessings,

Thou art the source of all my joys,

Thou art the living water

I drink with haste

And savour each and every drop

So careful of tragic waste.

Feed me Saviour ever more

The love that flows with every cup

Grant me my fill each day

That keeps me living and bears me up. 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Jesus Living Water by Grok2)

KEEP YOUR FORK

 

“There was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. She contacted her pastor to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes. As the pastor was preparing to leave after their discussion, the young woman said:

“There’s one more thing and this is very important. I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand.” The pastor stood looking at the young woman not knowing quite what to say. The young woman explained:

“In all my years of attending church socials and potluck dinners, I always remembered that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over to say, ‘keep the fork’. It was my favourite part because I knew that something better was coming….like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance!

“So I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder, ‘what’s with the fork?’. Then I want you to tell them: “Keep your fork, the best is yet to come.”

At the funeral, people were walking by the young woman’s casket and they saw the pretty dress she was wearing and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over, the pastor heard the question, ‘what’s with the fork?’, and over and over he smiled.

During his message, the pastor told the people of the conversation he had with the young woman shortly before she died. He also told them about the fork and how he could not stop thinking about it and that they should not either.´

-        Author Unknown

I could not help but reflect on the Saviour post Easter when I read this story. I wonder if He was reminded at every step of His difficult life that the best was yet to come. Paul tells us that He endured the cross for the joy that was set before Him (Hebrews 12:2).

I also reflect on the joy of heaven’s faithful host who bowed the knee and sang His praise to welcome Him home when the crucible of His life was finished (D&C 138:23,24). So it will be with all of us if we endure in faith to the end. The best is yet to come. Believe it, hope for it and keep your fork!

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art by Chris Brazelton)