Strength in Weakness:

My wife's Aunt Shirley just went home to be with her Lord.  We had gotten word a couple of days ago that she had pneumonia and wasn't expected to live.  She died last night.  

Over the last years of her life Aunt Shirley progressively became a prisoner in a body that no longer functioned.  Often we see seniors with healthy bodies but minds that leave those houses of flesh essentially homeless. 

Shirley O'Donnel was the opposite.  Her spirit continued to burn bright in an earthly house that if it had been a house of brick and wood would have been condemned long ago.  Scripture speaks of this condition.  It afflicts us all. 

  

   "For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body." (Romans 8:22-23, NASB95)  

   "for we walk by faith, not by sight- we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord." (2 Corinthians 5:7-8, NASB95)

 

Aunt Shirley left this world of waiting and suffering and entered that realm of fulfillment.  I don't want you to think that Aunt Shirley just sat and waited.  Not at all, she encouraged, and prayed, and helped little kids learn God's word.  

 

 

 

Thanks for pointing the way, Aunt Shirley.

It's STTA