The Best is Yet to Come

For most of us, Mondays usually get us down. The start of another week and the usual grind of life: work, school, responsibilities, weekend a long way off! But I am dancing in my heart today – not my body (more on that later). My little granddaughter smiled at me yesterday. She seemed overjoyed to share her smiles as I chatted with her. This was her first for me. As her parents said, “She can play hard to get!”  As you know, Elia has had a fight for life, but with great care from her parents, God pouring His love into her, she is an overcomer!

That little girl and I make a perfect match these days.  She loves to be held and I love to sit. My back pain is worsening as I continue to wait upon the Lord and LGH for a surgery date for my back. It is becoming harder to hide the need to sit or lay down or whatever it takes to relieve the pain in the lower half of my body. Hence the no dancing rule in play. But snuggles I can do with Elia’s low weight – she is like a feather in my arms compared to my other two children who also love to snuggle. 🙂 Elia is a great reason for me to sit.

“The best is yet to come.” For reasons that I don’t have time to get into, God whispered those words in my heart (many years ago during a very stressful time in my life). I have been reminded of that promise from Him many times since. It was a very hard 2021 for us, but there were hopeful things Jesus kept before us: The birth of our granddaughter (despite being given a very poor prognosis before birth), the continuing healing of Matthew’s body after major, major surgery, and more life for Kari with better control over her life-threatening seizure disorder. But in the midst, my personal pain is worsening. I am constantly reminded it is now my turn for improved health. And, as Ron reminds me constantly, my best is around the corner too!

I must take short, level-ground walks every day to keep my pain at bay. On Saturday, I didn’t get out until just before a storm was rolling in. The clouds were incredible, and some very large fluffy ones were backlit with the final burst of the evening’s sun, darkness surrounding them. You know the scene – we all have viewed an awe-inspiring landscape that took our breath away. For just a few seconds, I imagined Christ coming back for us in those clouds. He didn’t come, as you know. But once again I was reminded that “the best is yet to come!”  Just around the next bend in the road, the glorious bridegroom is coming for his bride. And if you have received Him as your Savior, He will sweetly invite us into His glorious world.  All this haunted brokenness, evil and pain will be over. His Kingdom come! Easter is a few weeks away, when the Christian world celebrates his resurrection that makes all this possible. In the meantime, as we wait, pray and hope that he will make us more like Him on this earth.