Christianity Oasis Forum

[Lani]

John 14:15-21
15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.


Jesus said, "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in e, and I am in you." John 14:18-20 (NIV)



Even though I was an adult when my parents died, I felt a keen sense of what it was like to be an orphan. Gone were the two people who had nurtured me and shaped my life. Sharp grief gave way to bewilderment: Who am I now? Who knows me deeply yet loves me anyway? The Gospel of John recounts Jesus telling his disciples that although the time was coming that they will see him no more, he will always be a part of them, just as they will forever be part of him.

And so it has been with my parents. I see now that even after their deaths, their example of loving-kindness continues to teach me and guide my life. That goes deeper than just warm memories. My parents are in me at a deep level, deeper than the mind can comprehend, as deep as the heart. And surely God was their heart's teacher.

In the same way, I come to know God through the life and love of Jesus. Nurturing that relationship through prayer and study, giving and serving, keeps me forever connected to the living God.



Prayer: Gracious God, let who we are reflect who you are, in all that we do. Amen.

Prayer Focus of Day: Someone Grieving a Parent's death

Story shared by: L. Tatum (NC)
Source: Upper Room Daily Devotional 7/2/11