Yes, Drew..............death is a part of Life.

In these last days/weeks of my Sister-in-Law Mary's life, I started to ponder how I might answer some of the questions that may come from my oldest grandson Drew (He's 3 1/2). Questions that a lot of adults quit asking a long time ago because they didn't like the answers.

Drew is being raised in the church, and he would be prone to asking something like, "Why don't we just pray and ask God to heal Aunt Mary?" So, I in turn would have to say, "We are praying for her, and we truly believe that God IS a healer." But, if she doesn't get healed..............., well, I think Marv answered that one for me last week when we were discussing it. He said something like this, "If God healed everyone, than no one would ever die, and there wouldn't be anyone in heaven with Him!" So, I guess that would be my answer to Drew. God IS a healer and God does heal, but not EVERYONE gets healed here on earth.

This took me deeper in thought to the point of, well, the beginning. God intended for us to live forever and to live together with Him like it was in the Garden. But, when sin entered the world, God could no longer stay here. We will still live forever, but now we have a choice to make. "I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give to them." (Deut. 30:19-20)
For the believer, that 'land that He swore to give us' is our eternal home - heaven.

It also brought me to anticipate his next question, which might be something like, "Then if God wants us all to be with Him anyway, why do we have to live on earth in the first place?" And, my answer might be something like this, "Drew, God gives us the opportunity here on earth to practice loving others the way He loves us, and in most cases, that takes a LOT of practice! Aunt Mary showed a lot of love to a lot of people in the 50 or so short years she had here, and well, I guess her mission here on earth was complete, so God called her home.

It is with great sadness, but also joy that MaryAnn left us this morning to be with the Lord. We will miss you for now Mary, but we will see you soon! <3 Love you, Liz