Oklahoma!

The sun bore down gently as those famous Oklahoma winds swept through and over us.   Hair flying, our  clothes billowed from the gusts as we stood by.   

The song from the musical "Oklahoma!" echoed whimsically through my mind and I smiled.   I should be accustomed to the oddities of my 'out of place' thoughts by now.  Sometimes they surprise me,  but I have come to welcome them when they occur. 

Rich, dark earth was piled in a mound 5 or 6 feet high.  My unruly mind remembered a childhood game and I thought that as youngsters we may have laughed and climbed that pile of dirt to play "King of the Mountain".   

Today there was no laughter. No childish game.   Only tears.  Only the feeling that we had fallen off a cliff... are still falling.

Our hearts breaking for their brokenness, we gathered around to support and offer love to those who had lost wife, mother, relative, friend.     

A tale was told about rocks.  From the time she was a teenager,  a friend and mentor had occasionally gifted her rocks with encouraging words written on them.   She kept those rocks even till today.  They were precious to her.

Jesus was there with us.   He arrived as He always does.   Right on time.

Some may say He came too late.   If He had only shown up a few days before, she could have been healed.   She would still be here with us.  I'll confess, I wondered at it.

My wandering and questioning contemplation landed on the lives of  Mary and Martha.   Their brother Lazarus died while they were waiting for Jesus to arrive and heal him.    If only He had come more quickly.   They knew Jesus better than most people.   They knew He would have healed their brother.   

If He had only been there.

When He did finally show up, He cried with them.   John says that He was moved greatly by their grief and "Jesus wept." (John 11: 35 KJV) 

He then just simply called Lazarus from the grave.  He called him to live.   And Lazarus lived.

People told the story far and wide.   "Did you hear?  I saw it!  Jesus raised the dead!"

I have no doubt that Jesus wept with us at that blustery grave site. 

I have no doubt that He was moved greatly by the grief of those who love Debbie with everything in them.

I have no doubt that He was holding them close to His heart and absorbing the worst of their pain into Himself so that they could be strengthened to make it through the rituals and through the coming days.  

He offered Himself as an encouraging and comforting rock to hold onto forever.   He is the King of all our Mountains and valleys.  His wind surges and blows where it wishes and we hear the sound of it like an ocean wave, but we don't know where it comes from or where it is going... so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.  

But He did not raise her from death... not on this side of the divide.

People won't tell the tale of witnessing a resurrection at a graveside.   Not today anyway.

Not today.

Except Jesus.  He will tell it!   He saw her true resurrection to life.   He witnessed it with great joy and a huge grin on His face!   He welcomed her with open arms.

One of His born again children entered into eternity to live with Him in fulfillment of every promise He ever made.

He is  proclaiming a legendary account of victory about her in Heaven and everyone stops to listen and hear Him speak of her.

As she sits with the King,  she is the talk of glory; the newest amazing verse in the never ending praise of God.

His child is home.   

#JesusSaves

#outrageousbelief

#Jesuswept

#heknowsthenumberofourdays

Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (John 3:5)

“Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ (John 3:7)

“The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8)

"Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began." (Psalm 139:16 CSB)

"Who may ascend the hill of the LORD?  Who may stand in His holy place?"  (Psalm 24:3)