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My family buried a precious saint yesterday.
“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NIV)
She was loved deeply and my dad’s only sibling.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Matthew 5:4 (NIV)
My aunt Polly was a small woman who made a big impact on those who knew her, for she loved her family well, and loved her Jesus even more.
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22: 36-40 (NIV)
Friends, in this world, we will face tribulations. Life is hard, but God is good. He will carry you and me in the good and the bad. How do I know? Because I saw it in the life of my Aunt Polly.
December 3, 2020
The year was 1984. Aunt Polly gifted me a hand-written card at my high school graduation. She not only congratulated me but followed with ‘on earth we will have tribulation.’ Then gave me her life verse of 1 Peter 5:7. This verse was her secret to her hope and peace. This verse instructs us to “Cast your cares on the Him, for He cares for you.”
I believe the card came with a gift though I cannot tell you about the present. The real joy was the power in the verse. I knew she believed, and I wanted the hope she had in life. Therefore, I treasured her advise.
She understood that we do not live without HOPE because we can cast our cares on the Savior – our Savior who loves us more than life itself. Aunt Polly lived with peace because she practiced bringing her cares to the Lord. Yes, life can be hard, but we have hope in the Savior.
Honestly, her promised verse has carried me through deep hurts and heartache for thirty-six years. It has reminded me that God cares for me in the good and in the bad. I know I can give my anxiety to him. Her life verse has marked me in ways she may never know.
Friends, please consider this to be your hand-written message to “Cast your Care on the Lord, for He cares for You.” It is the secret to living with true hope and peace. Aunt Polly has proven it can be done. You, too, can live with her same HOPE.
Yes, Polly has moved to her forever mansion. She is with her Jesus. She is the first to hold a baby our family lost recently. She is in no pain, has no tears, and knows no sorrow. She lived her life on this earth with Hope and is in heaven with her Jesus. Her words and testimony will outlive her, in my life and hopefully yours.
How about you? Do you know the peace of the Savior this Christmas? If not, I would love to share with you. You are loved by One who wants you to cast your every care on Him. He promises to give you strength. He loves you so much he came as a baby to give you life itself. He is the Christmas Hope for this world’s Contemporary Hurts.
If you want to know more, I would love to grab a cup of coffee and share. I promise there is hope for your hurts. It is the greatest Christmas gift of all.
“Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 5:13-18 (NIV)