I Won't Be A Stranger

Memorial services are always such a mixture of emotions. When we know that our loved one or friend is with the Lord, we rejoice that they have made it “home,” but our own hearts grieve. The human heartache of missing them can only find it’s ultimate comfort in the Holy Spirit — God’s Comforter.

  At one such service, a dear preacher friend of ours was remembering several friends who had made the crossing to the other shore. As he was sharing, he verbalized his feelings in a rather unique way. Looking out across the crowd he said, “It kind of makes me feel like I won’t be a stranger when I get there.”

  So true. Everyone who goes on before us will be there to welcome us when it is our turn to come through the pearly gates. Oh, no! We won’t be a stranger.

  Best of all, when we have accepted salvation through Christ, and given our lives to serve Him we will know the welcome of God our Father when He says, “Well-done!” God the Son — our dearest Friend will take our hand in His nail-scarred one, as we worship Him, praise Him, thank Him for the redeeming power in the blood that fit us for such a glorious place. How we’ll praise the gift of the Father — the precious Holy Spirit for His ever present guidance as we walked in the world but not of it. Our Godhead — Three in One knows us! We certainly won’t be a stranger.

  So, when the world “down here” seems to be going cross grained with everything God has put in our hearts from the world “up there” — simply smile and listen closely! There’s a cloud of witnesses cheering us on! The band is marching to a different time. Tune your spiritual “inner ear” to hear the interceding to the Father for you!  You won’t be a stranger then, because you are not a stranger now!

   Living here is not forever — not our final home. We truly are just passing through. Like the song says:

This world is not my home, I’m just a passing through

   My treasures are laid up, somewhere beyond the blue

The angels beckon me from Heaven’s open door

   And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.

Albert E. Brumley

   When you weep with the ache of the earthly loss you know — don’t weep without hope. There is another day coming. A day when future will be known as reality. A day when we will be “forever with the Lord.” When it comes . . . We won’t be a stranger!                                                     

    Janene A. Dubbeld/FGG

“How can I repay the Lord for all His goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” Psalm 116:12-15