Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  to obtain an inheritance which isimperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.  In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,  so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. – 1 Peter 1:3-9
On Easter 2015, my mother and I were discussing the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. She had a conversation with someone who ascribed to Christianity, but questioned the resurrection. As she said, âWithout the resurrection, whatâs the point of all this? What hope do we have?â We had no idea how that hope would be tested in just a few short months.
When cancer comes into your life, you search for answers: how bad is it? What can be done? Is there a cure? How long do we have? Why is this happening?
We hope for so many things: for answers; for patience; for relationships to survive being pushed to the breaking point; and ultimately for healing and remission. But sometimes this healing does not come and weâre forced to come face to face with our vulnerability and lack of control.
In one of our last coherent conversations, when my mother realized she only had a few short months left, she told me that she realized she had put her hope in a cure. Mom said this was a good hope to have, but not the ultimate one that she had made it to be. I asked her what her hope was now and she told me it was Godâs will. Whatever He wanted, she was fine with it – that she hoped to have a little longer on earth, but that she knew it was in his hands and was at peace with that.
I realized that like my mother, though I knew what was true, I often do not treat it as such. I put my hope in family, friends, health, comfort, and when life gets really hard, distractions to keep my mind and heart occupied. All of these things can be good, but they are not ultimate. They will all fade with time.
The Bible tells us that eternity is written into the hearts of men. We yearn for immortality – to live here with our loved ones without pain, heartache, and suffering. But there is a disconnect between what we long for and reality. We know that not even the best things â relationships with loved ones â can go on forever. These hopes all fade.
But the hope of Jesusâs resurrection, my motherâs hope, is not that we just make the most of what time we have here or even that there is a âpower bigger than us.â Itâs that we have a heavenly father, a person who is active in our lives and invites us into a relationship with him. He is powerful and sovereign and his plans are beyond our comprehension. But he is kind, gentle, and patient with us as we struggle to keep our hearts set on him. He does not leave us in a broken world nor in our sufferings. Instead he fulfilled his promises to restore creation by entering into the brokenness himself, offering freely to absorb the consequences of sin if we place our trust in him. He never ceases, but endures from generation to generation. It is not in pursuing ourselves that we find purpose; itâs in living for him and serving others that we do. As Jesus said, âWhoever holds on to his life loses it, but whoever loses his life gains eternal life.â
God promises to restore heaven and earth one day, and until that day we wait for him either in this life or the next. We keep our eyes fixed on his nature and character, not these circumstances. We  will trust that âneither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present or the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.â
Cheryl Monjot says
Your heartfelt words are touching as well as healing. For those of us that were so blessed to have been touched by Dina in our lives, your memorium is very helpful. Dina was a member of my church circle while I lived in Avon Lake. She shared her faith with us and I learned so much from her. Her courage and strength during her last years on this earth serves as lesson in living life to its fullest with newly adjusted priorities, faith, and a great deal of love. Thank you for sharing your faith on your blog. I know Dina was so very proud of your work.
Karla says
She is WITH The Lord, and we were all blessed by her example. Thanks for sharing such an intimate view into Dina’s soul….a vital lesson/reminder for us all. Godspeed Becky, and Paul and peace to their family on earth.
Bill says
Ad maiorem Dei gloriam inque hominum salutem.