Good Evening!!
With December already almost half way through, I realized that on December 25 it will be the three and a half year mark of Kirk's passing. As I sat and let this sink in, I thought about how slow the first year felt. Of course, you have the first Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, birthdays, Mother's Day, Father's Day and the first year mark. I think the hardest day for me that first year was New Year's Day. I felt like I was leaving Kirk behind in 2011 and the rest of us moved on to a new year. It just didn't seem right and fair that I was being forced to move ahead of him. And to be honest I didn't want to.
As I sat and pondered on this, the word perseverance came to mind. Nothing will test you more than having to dig down deep and find perseverance to live the next minute, hour, day, and eventually year of your life. In Romans 5:3-4 NIV it states, "Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance , character; and character hope." The suffering that we all face gives us the perseverance to continue with life. We can prove to ourselves that we can get through each day, and then we start feeling hope. Hope helps us to see that life can be fulfilling again and one day we can start enjoying the life that God wants us to have. In Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV we are told, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning the shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." You see, Jesus knew his destiny. Jesus knew that He was headed for the cross to endure pain, persecution, and to bear all of mankind's sins. Yet, He persevered and lived everyday to save all of us. Jesus continued His ministry knowing that the Cross was in His future. But, Jesus knew the reward for His perseverance. He knew His final destination; sitting at the right hand of God. Is Heaven your final destination? Will you let your reward for perseverance be meeting Jesus face to face at the end of your race?
I pray that all of you reading this has accepted Jesus as your personal Savior. If you are unsure or want someone to pray with you to accept him, please feel free to private message me, text me, or just call me. The greatest gift you can ever receive is eternal salvation and the best part is that it's free. Jesus already paid the price, and by grace you can be saved just by asking.
Lord, I pray that we find the perseverance within ourselves to run this race of life. It can be so hard some days to just breathe; but with your help, grace, and guidance we can get through each day. I pray that those days turn into hope and hope makes life a little easier to bear. Thank you for giving us Your Son Jesus and for our eternal salvation so that we know that no matter what happens here in this fallen world, we have the hope and promise of Heaven and to see our loved ones that have gone before us. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen!!!!
Bless each one of you!!
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