Because He Lives

A while back, my brother called me and said he wanted to pass on a couple of things to remember on harder days.  First, he wanted me to take a look at the lyrics of the song, "Because He Lives."  The lyrics are as follows: 

God sent His son, they called Him, Jesus;

He came to love, heal and forgive;

He lived and died to buy my pardon,

An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives! 

How sweet to hold a newborn baby,

And feel the pride and joy he gives;

But greater still the calm assurance:

This child can face uncertain days because He Lives! 

And then one day, I'll cross the river,

I'll fight life's final war with pain;

And then, as death gives way to vict'ry,

I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He lives! 

Chorus

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,

Because He lives, all fear is gone;

Because I know He holds the future,

And life is worth the living,

Just because He lives!

 http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/b/bill_gaither/

Josh wanted me to look carefully at the second verse.  At a time when we were uncertain about Harper's future, reading those lyrics meant the world to me.  I still regularly think about the words to this song.  Harper will have many uncertain days in her future on this earth.  As her mom, it is extremely calming to know that, because of Jesus's sacrifice, she can face all of the uncertainty and look forward to a future in Heaven with no pain or sickness.

What's even greater than just the second verse is the meaning of the whole song.  We can face the world and everything in the world "because HE LIVES!!"  I don't know about you, but I am so excited about the time when all the suffering and pain in the world will lose to a greater victory than any of us can imagine!  God's blessings and final reward for us will be more amazing and more beautiful than our wildest dreams.  All because He loves us that much!  

The second thing Josh wanted me remember on hard days is something that someone told him when his girls were in NICU for so long.  He said to always remember that others are praying.  On days when I feel like I can't pray anymore or I don't know what to say; someone else is saying that prayer for me.  He told me there would be days where I would be so exhausted that I wouldn't have the energy or the words to pray.  Someone else would be there praying for me.  

In his infinite wisdom and love for us, God set up a beautiful way for us to help each other.  He set up a way for us to bless each other.  The most important thing we can do for each other is to pray.  As someone who has been blessed beyond imagine by other's prayers for my family, I am so glad God gave us the avenue of prayer!  I am thankful God gave us a HUGE Christian family and tells us to "bear one another's burdens."  I don't know that I will ever be able to give back as much as I have been blessed by others' prayers and concern for my family.  I do know this:  I will try every day to pay those blessings forward!  I will be working hard to pray for others, especially when they are so uncertain of their future that they don't know what to say in their own prayers.  

While we are striving for the rewards of eternity, God still blesses us richly on this earth.  Even on the toughest of days, we have the certainty of an amazing future, and we have the beautiful blessing of prayer!  What a loving and wise God we serve!