Following Jesus' Life On Twitter (Or What It Would've Been Like)

There is a lot of buzz (or fluttering) about Twitter and all the information that gets passed around the world in blazing fast speeds. This "Twitter Episode" of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is a good way to get some of the feelings that were portrayed by those around Jesus, in a short period of time. I know that Jesus is our Savior. I know that He lived a perfect life, but through the ignorance of those around Him, He suffered, was beaten, and was crucified. I also know that because He was divine, He had power over death, and He rose from the tomb, which is still empty today. I love this Gospel. It turns people who are unhappy and who don't know about their purpose in life, into people who have hope and who have joy that doesn't ebb and flow with the patterns of life around us.

Giant Problems

Many of the trials that come in our lives are able to be solved by thinking, planning, and enduring, so that we can come out the other side with just a few scratches. Sometimes, though, we face giant problems which slow down our progress: divorce, debt, death, family anxieties, etc. (Just in case you don't know what this picture could be depicting,) A David and Goliath situation is what I call these giant problems. We have all had them, and there is no way to avoid having them in your life. As we get plopped into the world of depressing thoughts and little motivation (or as keeping with the theme of this blog, you might say you have a nick in your armor), we need to know how to get out of it. Think of David's situation mentioned above. He, a young man at the time with no armor and equipped with only a sling, was faced with a nine foot giant who was equipped with a lot of armor and a rather large spear. He was able to kill the Goliath with only a sling and a stone. He had a giant problem, literally, but he overcame his, just as we can overcome ours.

Death Is Not The End

Being crushed by the pains of death can be overwhelming when it hits you. Not only does it crush you, but also your outlook on life itself. Life moves slower, your miserable, and you just can't seem to understand why everyone around you seems so happy. Luckily, we have Someone that can be by our side whenever we want Him to, Someone that will love us unconditionally, Someone who has died for you, our Savior.

Though He won't be around to literally put His arms around you, he wants the best for you. Just as a shepherd looks after each one of his sheep, our Savior looks out for each and every one of us. When we wander off the road, or we need to be comforted, He will be there to heal our wounds, touch our hearts, and lighten our burdens.

Being able to access these gifts is easier than one might think. These blessings are available to all of us. One thing that we want when we experience death of a loved one is to know that we are not alone. With the very Lord at our side, we are never alone. He will be there to help guide us through our lives while we are struggling. Read this poem:

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed
he was walking along the beach with the Lord.

Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.
For each scene he noticed two sets of
footprints in the sand: one belonging
to him, and the other to the Lord.
When the last scene of his life flashed before him,
he looked back at the footprints in the sand.

He noticed that many times along the path of
his life there was only one set of footprints.
He also noticed that it happened at the very
lowest and saddest times in his life.

This really bothered him and he
questioned the Lord about it.

"Lord, you said that once I decided to follow
you, you'd walk with me all the way.
But I have noticed that during the most
troublesome times in my life,
there is only one set of footprints.
I don't understand why, when
I needed you most, you would leave me."

The Lord replied,
"My precious child,
I love you and I would never leave you.
During your times of trial and suffering,
when you see only one set of footprints,
it was then that I carried you."

Another thing that happens when we experience the passing of a loved one is wanting to be miserable. We want others to notice our misery so they can comfort us and give us attention. We figure, the more we look and act miserable, the more pity we'll get, the more attention we'll get, the better we'll feel. Well, it turns out that being miserable is not the answer at all. In fact, it's the exact opposite you want to do. Sometimes we go through trials that will better help us help someone else going through a similar problem. What we need to do is learn from the experience we've just gone through. Yes, it is good to mourn for a short time. We need it to fully heal ourselves, but we need to climb out of that mournful state and get back to life as soon as we can. As we climb out of our mournful state, there may be things that tell us we need to go back to being miserable. We cannot fall into that trap. When we are miserable, there is absolutely no room for growth. When we grow, we learn. When we learn, we can help others. And when we help others, we help God bring His children, us, closer to Him.

Death is only a temporary separator between us. We will see our loved ones again. They will be the same people they were before. I bear witness of that, for it is God's Plan of Salvation for us all, His blessed Children.