Jeremy, We Love and Miss You

“I can only imagine…
Surrounded by your glory
What will my heart feel
Will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of you be still
Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing “Hallelujah”
Will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine”

For those of you who don’t know, my cousin Jeremy passed on a little over two weeks ago. This passage is a part of the song played at his Celebration of Life service the following Saturday. I have always loved this song and how true and wonderful it is to think about one day, that will be us coming home and seeing our father and Lord in ALL His glory!

During the song I kept thinking about the peace my cousin must be feeling up in heaven, without pain and without stress of the pains of this life here on earth. I also thought about each person in my life who doesn’t know the peace, love and freedom God gives us, His beloved Children.

If you haven’t heard this yet today, YOU ARE LOVED. This is something that I think some of us have forgotten, and not only that you are loved but you are loved by the King and Creator of the world!

Something that I have been thinking about since I have come home from training camp and getting ready to leave for 11 months is how precious time truly is. The passing of my cousin just made that lesson I have been going through even more real.

Jeremy would have turned 36 about two weeks ago. When I first heard the news, I was shocked. This is my cousin who had many health problems but was finally starting to come around to family events a little more and I had hope in that. I hadn’t really thought that he would pass so soon. I will be honest, not many people in my family have passed when I was old enough to really understand what that meant. His passing was hard for me not only because he is family but also because I thought of the many times I could have reached out more. I have hope, and pray that one day when I go to meet our father God in heaven, I will see my cousin too!

Jeremy had a tattoo of Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”. Having this tattoo makes me think he truly understood what God had done for him and that I will see him up in heaven one day.

Sometimes for myself I need to be reminded how real this is, I don’t want to waste time and miss opportunities to tell those in my life who I care for about the freedom that Jesus Christ came to give! Freedom from the pain and struggle here on earth – His Peace that surpasses all understanding. And of course Eternal Freedom – when it is our time to meet our Creator in Glory.

During this holiday season and start to the new year I challenge you (as well as myself) to really take every moment with your family, friends and strangers to show them the love of Christ and speak truth into their lives.
To look at time as the precious gift that God has given each one of us.

“…now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light” -Romans 13:11-12

It’s time for us to use the time God has given us to love those He loves, all His creation.
Rest when you need to rest but listen to what God is wanting to teach you and who He wants you to reach out to.

To my cousin Jeremy, thankful God made you my cousin and looking forward to the day when I see you in heaven.

To my heavenly father, “I can only imagine what my eyes will see when your face is before me, I can only imagine.”

To you my family and friends, you are LOVED. Jesus has already conquered death when He went on that cross many years ago to be able to have a relationship with you, have you said YES to Him?

~ Merry Christmas and much love ~