“She’s not coming back, is she.”
It was formed as a question but was delivered as a declarative realization.
“No sir. She’s not. Not this time.”
It was then that his best friend said something that would change his life.
“She will be absent from your life, as you know it now. However, as difficult as this may be to accept, the absence of one does not negate the presence of another…God.”
When we lose someone in our life, regardless of the circumstance, it is imperative that we transition from absence to presence.
Their absence. His presence.
The void you may be feeling by their absence can be filled by His presence.
You certainly have the option to sit today in sorrow, and maybe that is needed, or you can look for the joy in tomorrow.
How do we invoke and invite into our life the presence of God?
First, delete the dictionary of religious and spiritual jargon that may be lodged in your head.
You won’t need it.
Then talk to God as you would someone dear to you.
He wants to be just that.
You do not have to introduce yourself.
He already knows who you are.
You do not have to call Him by any of His many names.
Just talk to Him.
God is a great listener.
He knows everything about everything and He wants to talk with you about everything… and anything that is going on in your life.
Someone said to me once, after I had been called upon to pray in a public setting, “That was a sweet and awesome prayer.”
I responded, “I was talking to a sweet and awesome God.”
Tell God your deepest feelings regarding the absence of the person no longer in your life.
You will not surprise or shock Him.
God loves the honesty of the heart.
You will find that where you thought the absence of that one person could not be filled by anything else, that the presence of God will cause you to desire the absence of everything else…
…except His presence.
“You have let me experience the joys of life and the exquisite pleasures of your own eternal presence.” Psalm 16:11
The content of this article is how I got through the death of my wife.
Thanks for sharing this John…what a beautiful concept to know that any void we have can be
filled with His presence and He is the only one who can satisfy that longing in our souls.
Oh John!!!! What better timing for this one for me personally. On Sept 13, 2014 will be two years since my “Diddy” went home to Glory Land to be in His presence!!!! I do miss her terribly every single day. My Diddy’s absence from me means he is indeed in the presence of God Almighty. Doesn’t make my humanness feel better when I am missing him but…I also have wonderful, wonderful memories and even things that happen almost everyday that almost seem like my Diddy sent them to me to say, “Hey Baby Girl.” And when I talk to God, I do indeed talk to Him as if He were right beside me and were my best friend. After all, He really is my BESTEST friend!!!! And oh how many times have I truly felt His presence. And am amazed everyday at all He does for me, with me, in me and through me. Sometimes I just laugh at things He does. He is funny, you know!!!! He has some kind of sense of humor. When I picture Him in my mind’s eye, I can just see Him with His head tilted back and just laughing!!!! He is AWESOME!!!!! This week will be a hard one for me, but then every Thursday is hard for me because that’s the “day” my Diddy left me. So many times I talk to my earthly Diddy and my Heavenly Father at the same time. I’m sure God will either let my Diddy hear me or will deliver the message Himself. I sure do love them both!!!!!!!!!! And this subject you wrote on today is just what I needed. Thank you so much.
Cathy
Cathy,
I understand.
There are those in my life I wish to see as well.
At least fifteen times a day.
That’s too low.
They actually NEVER leave my heart and mind.
And it is difficult.
But we serve a God who is pretty good at “difficult”.
John
He sure is!!!!!!!
I loved this John and I actually practiced it when Stevie went to be with the Lord. I would sit outside and just cry and look up in the sky and talk. I would lay in the floor in my house and pour my broken heart out to him and I knew he was listening. It was during one of those times as I lay flat on my face that God gave me a beautiful, very clear picture of a conversation that was going on between him and Stevie. This is what I heard. “Stevie, would you like to go home?” Stevie, said, “What do you mean Jesus?” Jesus, “Do you want to go home and see your Mom and Daddy and the rest of your family?” Stevie, “Jesus, I know my Mama and Daddy are coming here some day and all of the rest of my family. And besides, Jesus, I am home.” And then I could physically feel the love of my Heavenly Father all around me and I knew he had just reassured me once again that Stevie was fine and Heaven is definitely real! You have such a gift with words. Thank you for all you share from your heart.
Deborah,
Thank you.
I was not present at church, on the day that you and Al gave your testimony, but, I heard, from multiple people that it was very moving.
People can see God’s grace and mercy displayed in your life.
John
Deborah,
And because they see His grace and mercy demonstrated in your life, is the reason they will seek that same grace and mercy for their lives and the lives of their children.
John
John, thank you for making my day. Psalm 16:11 sums it all up for me. Kitty
Thank you John for posting this. Loosing my sweet grandson T.J. was the worse thing that has ever happened in my life as well as my families lives. He was such a loving person, and I miss him so much everyday. His picture is my wallpaper on my computer and at night before I go to bed, I always kiss his picture and tell him I love and miss him so much, but that I will see him again in the morning, as well as the day Jesus calls me home.
We can never thank you enough for taking care of T.J. when he passed away, and staying with him until his Dad arrived. I know that had to be hard on you also, since you was his Sunday School teacher, and the two of you talked away from church over the phone with him asking you questions that he knew you could answer and lead him in the right direction. He thought the world of you John.
I talk with God all the time about how my heart is so broken. I still cry most days about him. When I am praying at night about this, I can actually feel God’s arms embrace me. I know my sweet T.J. is with Jesus, and am so proud that he knew Him as his personal Lord and Savior.
One day, oh one glorious day, I will see him again.
Please pray for our family, Tyler, his brother still just breaks down and cries when he hears a song or something that reminds him of T.J., but always in the privacy of his truck because he misses his brother so much. They were always together, and Tyler, although he is married and so happy now, he still misses his T.J. so much as well as Todd. It is not easy having to bury your child, and my heart just breaks knowing what he is going through also.
We will never forget this sweet gift God gave to our family, and peace that we have knowing in our hearts that he is with the Lord today. Thank you John, Kathleen (T.J.’s Granny)
Kathleen:
I have no words to add to what you have stated. I literally am without words.