This side of heaven
Someday this will al make sense; every trial, every challenge, every ounce of pain and suffering will all make perfect sense, but not on this side of heaven. You see on this side of heaven we are given the opportunity to be tested, endure suffering, and to survive the greatest of trials. While on the inside of heaven, well truly we can only imagine. We know that there will be no pain, no heartache, no sorrow, no grief, and much more than that , well its a mystery. It is this side of heaven that each one of us are far too familiar with, we live in it each and every day, and every moment it reminds us of who and where we are!
While it would make great sense for me to desire to be in heaven now, rejoined with my bride, basking in the presence of God, I must admit that deep down I desire to for now remain on this side of heaven. I know that each one of us desire to have our suffering end, to take our place amongst those who have gone before us, I know that given a choice any reasonable person would choose to be in heaven as opposed to spending endless hours suffering on this earth. However, once we have made our final journey to our final destination it is then that life suddenly becomes about receiving our blessing, it is then that we are given the reward for our time spent on this side of heaven. But here, this is where we have been given the opportunity to make a difference for others, an opportunity to represent the God of all creation to His children. An opportunity to introduce children to the Father they have never known, a chance to give others the hope of heaven! Let me ask you, what other purpose do we serve, why else would we be asked to endure all that we do here on this earth? Yes I am confused, confused as to why anyone who proclaims Jesus as Lord would ever believe, or live as if this side of heaven was simply a place we hang out until we go home. I’m sorry but I do refuse to believe or accept fact that all there is to this life is suffering without purpose, comfort without cost, or pain without payment, yes our time this side of heaven must be lived knowing that we are here for a purpose! If we have no purpose we have no hope, without hope we are lost, and if we are lost we are no different than those who have never met Jesus.
I miss my wife more than I could have ever imagined, Dawn was my soul mate, my best friend, my partner in ministry, and my partner in life, and yes I miss her. I have been to the crossroad and I have made a choice, my choice is not to continue to serve God as I have. My choice is to serve Him with a greater fervor, a simpler faith, a more passionate desire, and with a greater sense of urgency than I ever have before! I refuse to dishonor her memory, to throw away thirty plus years of serving together, simply because of my loss, or out of fear of what lies ahead, or because I am mad at God. First of all I have not lost Dawn we will be together again only this time without all of the baggage on this side of heaven. Secondly after what we have been through there is nothing on this earth that I fear, God has been more than faithful to carry all of us through this trial and He has promised to continue to do so, and He will! And last but not least how can I be angry at the God who created this woman and loaned her to me for so long, this woman who bore three wonderful daughters full of grace, this woman who impacted so many lives, mine included. How can I be mad at the God who has carried me through, given me strength, given me hope, and transformed my life, how can I be mad at the God who has given me purpose?
Today I would like to ask you one question, “Are you living a life on this side of heaven worthy of the other side of heaven?” If not why not, if yes are you sure?
Gene Burroughs
Servant of God,
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Sunday, June 20, 2010
It is all about Choices
It’s all about Choosing
It has now been just a little over four weeks since Dawn left us and joined so many who have gone before us to be with the Father. It is with the deepest of honesty that I can say this has by far been the most emotionally trying time of my adult life. Never before since my teen years have I experienced such low lows, and so few highs on this roller coaster of emotions we often find ourselves on. In a life when things are at least somewhat normal we see high points as something we aspire to, an emotional point worthy of all of the effort we can muster in order to achieve it. However in times of grief we tend to see the high points as a place of great fear. Why you ask? Because you see in times of grieving we know there will be a fall, and the higher our joy the deeper our sorrow, or the greater the fall. We walk in a place of fear of joy as opposed to one of seeking joy, and of course along with that there are many dangers. One danger is the constantly looming depression, the kind that tugs at you seeking to draw you in and never let you go. Another are the thoughts of rebellion, and the anger at God that would bring nothing more than a very temporary relief followed by again bondage, yet now accompanied by hopelessness, again not an appealing thought. Then you have the temptation of ignoring your emotions, covering it all up so to speak by piling on any distraction you can think of in order to mask your pain. However this too will fail, for the intense pain caused by separation from our loved one will not allow itself to be bridled for long, soon it will find a way to erupt, and emotional eruptions are never the best way to deal with any situation. Yes I do speak as a man who now has firsthand knowledge of these and many more emotional scenarios and challenges, each one examined, weighed, and considered, some even practiced to a degree, and for me I have found the answer. You see the only answer I have found to be without fault, without consequence, without long term adverse effects is that once again I must trust in that which I do not see. I must place my hope in the one who gave His life for me, and believe that He has done the same for my treasured wife. If in fact I choose to continue on the same path that Dawn and I chose thirty plus years ago, (which I have) then I continue as well to honor her, I continue to be a man of faith. As a father I am re-enforcing everything that Dawn and I have taught our children (and many others) to believe they too now have the hope of Christ renewed. This choice is only one that has zero negative consequences, that’s right, zero, not one! Oh yes there are those who doubt and scoff, but may I say this to you: either you have never been in this situation, in which case you speak only from conjecture and opinion, which completely nullifies your point. For you see this is not an intellectual topic or struggle that can be explained away with head knowledge, this is an emotional struggle, filled with far too many nuances to be categorized. Or I would suggest that you doubt or scoff because you have experienced this pain first hand, and you have made the wrong choice in determining how you dealt with your pain, and now bitterness has taken hold.
My prayer for each of you that have experienced such tragedy would be that you (if you have not already) remove yourself from the bondage of anger and bitterness by seeking the only one who can redeem you, Jesus Christ, the Son of the living and loving God. And for those of you who will someday face the pain of loss, (which is the rest of you), I pray that you too will chose wisely, and place your trust and hope in the one who can be trusted with it, the great “I Am”.
Gene Burroughs Servant of the Most High God
It has now been just a little over four weeks since Dawn left us and joined so many who have gone before us to be with the Father. It is with the deepest of honesty that I can say this has by far been the most emotionally trying time of my adult life. Never before since my teen years have I experienced such low lows, and so few highs on this roller coaster of emotions we often find ourselves on. In a life when things are at least somewhat normal we see high points as something we aspire to, an emotional point worthy of all of the effort we can muster in order to achieve it. However in times of grief we tend to see the high points as a place of great fear. Why you ask? Because you see in times of grieving we know there will be a fall, and the higher our joy the deeper our sorrow, or the greater the fall. We walk in a place of fear of joy as opposed to one of seeking joy, and of course along with that there are many dangers. One danger is the constantly looming depression, the kind that tugs at you seeking to draw you in and never let you go. Another are the thoughts of rebellion, and the anger at God that would bring nothing more than a very temporary relief followed by again bondage, yet now accompanied by hopelessness, again not an appealing thought. Then you have the temptation of ignoring your emotions, covering it all up so to speak by piling on any distraction you can think of in order to mask your pain. However this too will fail, for the intense pain caused by separation from our loved one will not allow itself to be bridled for long, soon it will find a way to erupt, and emotional eruptions are never the best way to deal with any situation. Yes I do speak as a man who now has firsthand knowledge of these and many more emotional scenarios and challenges, each one examined, weighed, and considered, some even practiced to a degree, and for me I have found the answer. You see the only answer I have found to be without fault, without consequence, without long term adverse effects is that once again I must trust in that which I do not see. I must place my hope in the one who gave His life for me, and believe that He has done the same for my treasured wife. If in fact I choose to continue on the same path that Dawn and I chose thirty plus years ago, (which I have) then I continue as well to honor her, I continue to be a man of faith. As a father I am re-enforcing everything that Dawn and I have taught our children (and many others) to believe they too now have the hope of Christ renewed. This choice is only one that has zero negative consequences, that’s right, zero, not one! Oh yes there are those who doubt and scoff, but may I say this to you: either you have never been in this situation, in which case you speak only from conjecture and opinion, which completely nullifies your point. For you see this is not an intellectual topic or struggle that can be explained away with head knowledge, this is an emotional struggle, filled with far too many nuances to be categorized. Or I would suggest that you doubt or scoff because you have experienced this pain first hand, and you have made the wrong choice in determining how you dealt with your pain, and now bitterness has taken hold.
My prayer for each of you that have experienced such tragedy would be that you (if you have not already) remove yourself from the bondage of anger and bitterness by seeking the only one who can redeem you, Jesus Christ, the Son of the living and loving God. And for those of you who will someday face the pain of loss, (which is the rest of you), I pray that you too will chose wisely, and place your trust and hope in the one who can be trusted with it, the great “I Am”.
Gene Burroughs Servant of the Most High God
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
No guilt in life no fear in death
No Fear in Life no Guilt in Death
As I am sure you can imagine it has been quite difficult to write for the past two weeks, yes it was two weeks ago tonight that Dawn went to be with the Lord. You see ever since her passing I have been extremely busy with taking care of legal stuff, making arrangements, planning services, and much more. Let’s face it there is no time for grieving immediately after someone’s passing, maybe that is a good thing in some folk’s way of thinking, however for me it feels a little cheap, yes I said cheap. I have spent the past 35 plus years with the woman I love, she is plucked out of my life, and I am so busy taking care of things that I don’t even have time to process the loss, until now, two weeks later. So here I am at 12:30 am having spent a large portion of the day going through her things and finding myself wondering what comes next. Will I be able to handle everything I need to do in order to be a great Father, a Pastor, a Housekeeper, and to the degree that it is humanly possible fill the gap left by Dawn’s passing for our children and grandchildren? Suddenly I understand to a greater degree why so many widowed and divorced people seek another mate so quickly, (something by the way that I refuse to do for years to come.) I find myself asking the question at times, “What would Dawn do?” when faced with various decisions and unlike when she was here I now find myself agreeing with her 100% of the time. You see it is not that Dawn and I became one at marriage and at her departure we were torn apart; I believe that somehow we remain one. Oh yes I miss the smell of her hair, the touch of her hand, the sound of her prayers, and even the covers being pulled off in the night, and so much more, but still she remains with me. I am now and forever will be a different man than I ever was before, a man integrated and filled with the influence of this amazing woman with whom I spent the last 35 years with! The true bind however is the one we still and forever shall share, a bond that cannot be broken by time, by any man, or any influence upon this earth or in the universe, we share the bond of our Lord, our savior, our God! You see Dawn and I will never be apart because the God that not only brought us together but also kept us together remains within us, He always has been and always will be our source of strength, wisdom, guidance, love, patience, faith, and so much more, and that gives me all I need to carry on!
Dawn Burroughs lived a life best described by these words, “no guilt in life, no fear in death” but only because of Jesus Christ her Lord! That same God dwells in every believer and because of this we too should have, “no guilt in life, or fear in death” for this is a great truth. When we learn to overcome the guilt of sin, and walk in the power of fearlessness nothing can ever separate us from the love of God, and we become very dangerous for the enemy of our souls, for it is then he knows he has lost. My flesh aches to hold my beloved wife once again in my arms, to tell her once again just how much I love her. My spirit however encourages and reminds me that I am not alone, that God will give me everything I need, and that soon and very soon we will be together again, and in that knowledge I too can rejoice and thank my God!
Gene Burroughs
As I am sure you can imagine it has been quite difficult to write for the past two weeks, yes it was two weeks ago tonight that Dawn went to be with the Lord. You see ever since her passing I have been extremely busy with taking care of legal stuff, making arrangements, planning services, and much more. Let’s face it there is no time for grieving immediately after someone’s passing, maybe that is a good thing in some folk’s way of thinking, however for me it feels a little cheap, yes I said cheap. I have spent the past 35 plus years with the woman I love, she is plucked out of my life, and I am so busy taking care of things that I don’t even have time to process the loss, until now, two weeks later. So here I am at 12:30 am having spent a large portion of the day going through her things and finding myself wondering what comes next. Will I be able to handle everything I need to do in order to be a great Father, a Pastor, a Housekeeper, and to the degree that it is humanly possible fill the gap left by Dawn’s passing for our children and grandchildren? Suddenly I understand to a greater degree why so many widowed and divorced people seek another mate so quickly, (something by the way that I refuse to do for years to come.) I find myself asking the question at times, “What would Dawn do?” when faced with various decisions and unlike when she was here I now find myself agreeing with her 100% of the time. You see it is not that Dawn and I became one at marriage and at her departure we were torn apart; I believe that somehow we remain one. Oh yes I miss the smell of her hair, the touch of her hand, the sound of her prayers, and even the covers being pulled off in the night, and so much more, but still she remains with me. I am now and forever will be a different man than I ever was before, a man integrated and filled with the influence of this amazing woman with whom I spent the last 35 years with! The true bind however is the one we still and forever shall share, a bond that cannot be broken by time, by any man, or any influence upon this earth or in the universe, we share the bond of our Lord, our savior, our God! You see Dawn and I will never be apart because the God that not only brought us together but also kept us together remains within us, He always has been and always will be our source of strength, wisdom, guidance, love, patience, faith, and so much more, and that gives me all I need to carry on!
Dawn Burroughs lived a life best described by these words, “no guilt in life, no fear in death” but only because of Jesus Christ her Lord! That same God dwells in every believer and because of this we too should have, “no guilt in life, or fear in death” for this is a great truth. When we learn to overcome the guilt of sin, and walk in the power of fearlessness nothing can ever separate us from the love of God, and we become very dangerous for the enemy of our souls, for it is then he knows he has lost. My flesh aches to hold my beloved wife once again in my arms, to tell her once again just how much I love her. My spirit however encourages and reminds me that I am not alone, that God will give me everything I need, and that soon and very soon we will be together again, and in that knowledge I too can rejoice and thank my God!
Gene Burroughs
Saturday, May 22, 2010
The truth has set her free
The truth has set her free
Well Dawn has made her final journey, she has met her savior face to face and the pain has left her body, praise God! Yes I praise God that she is with Him, I praise Him that she has moved in to her new home, and yes I still praise God that He has counted us worthy to endure this trial. You see we truly believe that the Lord has and always will have our best interest at heart, and because of that we can also know that we as a family will come through this. Yes our hearts are hurting, yes our tears are flowing, yes we miss our beloved wife and mother, and yes we even sometimes question God, but these things will never change the truth, the truth that He is God!
As I look back on the events of the past six months I cannot help but be amazed and blessed by what I have seen, the people we have encountered, and the lessons we have learned. I have seen and felt the pain of seeing a loved one consumed and succumb to a deadly and vicious disease, a disease intent on destroying life. It seems rather ironic to me that cancer survives and thrives on living cells, consuming them with an intensity that eventually causes its own death. I see it as very much the same pattern that evil has in this world. The desire to consume all it can while it can, only to end up dying from its consumption, and by its death and the death of that which it consumes life comes forth. Life free from the possibility of cancer or the influence of the evil that destroyed it, yet the evil dies never again to wreak havoc. And to think there are those out there who chose to believe in this evil, those who place their trust in its consuming power, those who deny the obvious in order to maintain a false sense of control. May I just say this one thing; the path Dawn has taken awaits each and every one of us, we must all walk into the next life, and unlike Dawn some will have made the wrong choice, some will have held on to their false sense of security, only to realize the truth in the end, but for them it will be too late. I implore you today to take a look, to view the Gospel with the same open mind you have viewed other thoughts, ideas, or religions. For if you do I believe that you too will find the truth, and the truth will make you free!
Gene Burroughs
Well Dawn has made her final journey, she has met her savior face to face and the pain has left her body, praise God! Yes I praise God that she is with Him, I praise Him that she has moved in to her new home, and yes I still praise God that He has counted us worthy to endure this trial. You see we truly believe that the Lord has and always will have our best interest at heart, and because of that we can also know that we as a family will come through this. Yes our hearts are hurting, yes our tears are flowing, yes we miss our beloved wife and mother, and yes we even sometimes question God, but these things will never change the truth, the truth that He is God!
As I look back on the events of the past six months I cannot help but be amazed and blessed by what I have seen, the people we have encountered, and the lessons we have learned. I have seen and felt the pain of seeing a loved one consumed and succumb to a deadly and vicious disease, a disease intent on destroying life. It seems rather ironic to me that cancer survives and thrives on living cells, consuming them with an intensity that eventually causes its own death. I see it as very much the same pattern that evil has in this world. The desire to consume all it can while it can, only to end up dying from its consumption, and by its death and the death of that which it consumes life comes forth. Life free from the possibility of cancer or the influence of the evil that destroyed it, yet the evil dies never again to wreak havoc. And to think there are those out there who chose to believe in this evil, those who place their trust in its consuming power, those who deny the obvious in order to maintain a false sense of control. May I just say this one thing; the path Dawn has taken awaits each and every one of us, we must all walk into the next life, and unlike Dawn some will have made the wrong choice, some will have held on to their false sense of security, only to realize the truth in the end, but for them it will be too late. I implore you today to take a look, to view the Gospel with the same open mind you have viewed other thoughts, ideas, or religions. For if you do I believe that you too will find the truth, and the truth will make you free!
Gene Burroughs
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
A Victorious Moment
A Victorious Moment
Tonight as I sat with Dawn, holding her silky soft hand and stroking her still long and beautiful blonde hair, I couldn’t help but be angry as I viewed the abrasion on her cheek. Here she lays this woman of God, facing her last moments on earth in a body riddled with cuts, bruises, abrasions, and disease, all of them constant reminders of the frailty of the human body. This body was not the one that had been used so mightily on so many occasions for the glory of God. No this body was one riddled with the marks and scars that come from being trapped in an earthly tent while being subjected to the trials and tribulations of this world. Her inner body now consumed by this terrible disease called cancer, even though unseen for the most part it has now made itself known largely by the distention in her stomach region. Her face scarred by a fall, as her body failed her while doing all she could to not be a burden to her loved ones. A plethora of bruises all received as her body tricked her in to thinking she had the strength she needed yet without warning her knees would buckle and send her falling in pain to the ground. And if that was not enough, this very body which had now confined her to her bed is left with the marks of this confinement in the form of horrifically painful bed sores. Now do you understand why I felt angry? Let me explain if I may the true source of my frustration. You see the condition of Dawns body was quite simply a prime example of what satan does to all mankind. A prime example of how he desires and does treat every single person who he maintains control over. Every person who places their trust in the deceiver and thief of souls will find themselves faced with much the same if not worse treatment as well. You see he loves to deceive, he loves to destroy, and he loves to blame others in the process, and given the opportunity he will do just that. However in Dawn’s case his plans were foiled, oh yes he may have had some temporary joy in her misery, but the key word here is temporary. For you see at 11:20 pm on Tuesday evening the 18th of May 2010 Dawn left that broken body and met Jesus face to face! And no matter how difficult satan made it, no matter how much pain, frustration, fear, anguish, or any of a number of negative emotions he inflicted, he was unable to dissuade Dawn or anyone else from believing the truth. As a matter of fact many came to know Jesus as their personal savior as a result of Dawn’s suffering and perseverance through it. For all intense and purposes his plans backfired upon him, just as they always do when faithful people face hopeless situations by placing their trust in God, and their hope in Jesus. I would ask today that you consider lifting our children and our family once again before our Lord each time you think of us. While we have loaned our Mother, Friend, Wife, Patriarch, Mentor, Companion and Lover to the Lord for safe keeping for a time and knowing that she is in the safest and greatest of hands, our hearts are broken. There are now holes and gaps in those places that Dawn’s presence once filled, and while the Spirit of God will fill them there is no worldly replacement for the physical presence of a mother, wife, sister, daughter, friend, mentor, and leader such as Dawn. Yes we will miss her, no we will never forget her, and yes no one could ever replace her, and in honor of her if for no other reason, our faith in God will grow stronger with each passing moment of each and every day! I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for every prayer, word of encouragement, meal, flower, gift of time, gift of labor, financial assistance, rides, and so much more, that we have received, we count ourselves truly blessed by each of you even in the midst of our sorrow. Your love and devotion is like a salve to a wound, providing soothing comfort each time it is applied, just as the Lord Himself provides us with His healing touch each time we cry out. Without Him we would suffer and perish, and with Him, and because of Him we will rule and reign forever with eternal peace and joy!
Gene Burroughs Pastor
Tonight as I sat with Dawn, holding her silky soft hand and stroking her still long and beautiful blonde hair, I couldn’t help but be angry as I viewed the abrasion on her cheek. Here she lays this woman of God, facing her last moments on earth in a body riddled with cuts, bruises, abrasions, and disease, all of them constant reminders of the frailty of the human body. This body was not the one that had been used so mightily on so many occasions for the glory of God. No this body was one riddled with the marks and scars that come from being trapped in an earthly tent while being subjected to the trials and tribulations of this world. Her inner body now consumed by this terrible disease called cancer, even though unseen for the most part it has now made itself known largely by the distention in her stomach region. Her face scarred by a fall, as her body failed her while doing all she could to not be a burden to her loved ones. A plethora of bruises all received as her body tricked her in to thinking she had the strength she needed yet without warning her knees would buckle and send her falling in pain to the ground. And if that was not enough, this very body which had now confined her to her bed is left with the marks of this confinement in the form of horrifically painful bed sores. Now do you understand why I felt angry? Let me explain if I may the true source of my frustration. You see the condition of Dawns body was quite simply a prime example of what satan does to all mankind. A prime example of how he desires and does treat every single person who he maintains control over. Every person who places their trust in the deceiver and thief of souls will find themselves faced with much the same if not worse treatment as well. You see he loves to deceive, he loves to destroy, and he loves to blame others in the process, and given the opportunity he will do just that. However in Dawn’s case his plans were foiled, oh yes he may have had some temporary joy in her misery, but the key word here is temporary. For you see at 11:20 pm on Tuesday evening the 18th of May 2010 Dawn left that broken body and met Jesus face to face! And no matter how difficult satan made it, no matter how much pain, frustration, fear, anguish, or any of a number of negative emotions he inflicted, he was unable to dissuade Dawn or anyone else from believing the truth. As a matter of fact many came to know Jesus as their personal savior as a result of Dawn’s suffering and perseverance through it. For all intense and purposes his plans backfired upon him, just as they always do when faithful people face hopeless situations by placing their trust in God, and their hope in Jesus. I would ask today that you consider lifting our children and our family once again before our Lord each time you think of us. While we have loaned our Mother, Friend, Wife, Patriarch, Mentor, Companion and Lover to the Lord for safe keeping for a time and knowing that she is in the safest and greatest of hands, our hearts are broken. There are now holes and gaps in those places that Dawn’s presence once filled, and while the Spirit of God will fill them there is no worldly replacement for the physical presence of a mother, wife, sister, daughter, friend, mentor, and leader such as Dawn. Yes we will miss her, no we will never forget her, and yes no one could ever replace her, and in honor of her if for no other reason, our faith in God will grow stronger with each passing moment of each and every day! I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for every prayer, word of encouragement, meal, flower, gift of time, gift of labor, financial assistance, rides, and so much more, that we have received, we count ourselves truly blessed by each of you even in the midst of our sorrow. Your love and devotion is like a salve to a wound, providing soothing comfort each time it is applied, just as the Lord Himself provides us with His healing touch each time we cry out. Without Him we would suffer and perish, and with Him, and because of Him we will rule and reign forever with eternal peace and joy!
Gene Burroughs Pastor
Monday, May 17, 2010
Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus
There is a very simple song written by Fernando Ortega and recorded by many that has the best four word chorus anyone could ever ask for; “Give me Jesus”. The version I enjoy most was recorded by Vince Gill. The biggest challenge of this song however is to get through it without weeping profusely, which I might add I have rarely if ever been able to accomplish. A few mornings ago Dawn and I had one of those extra special opportunities to spend a quiet moment together prior to the waking of the remainder of our household. Being fully aware that these opportunities may soon be gone and now unable to converse with Dawn I chose to play Vince’s version of the song over Dawn. As I sat there listening to the words and thinking of our many years shared in service to the Lord, (crying of course) a particular line of the song struck me as it never had before. While I’m convinced that Fernando had an understanding of the depth of this phrase (after all he wrote it), I’m equally convinced that most people are unable to, simply because they have never truly needed to. In this phrase he writes; “you may have all of this world, just give me Jesus”. You see this statement can easily be accepted with the simplicity of which it was written, however when you truly have had all this world can offer, and have come to the end of days, it is only then that you truly do understand how little this world can give. You see Dawn has been diagnosed, she has received all of the treatments, there is nothing else that this world can offer her, I, our children, or anyone else that will take away the pain of our impending loss, her gain. The world had its chance with Dawn, in this life it offered her despair, trials, pain, and eventually sickness unto death. Yet in its attempt to utterly destroy her she has become victorious, she found hope, joy, salvation, love, and so much more! She found along her way a savior, a promise for the future. She defied the world, she beat the odds, and she shared this Jesus with everyone she met, Dawn has given her all and now she will follow the lead of her savior and defeat the world one final time! She will reap the rewards that the world cannot give, healing for an eternity, a crown of jewels, a reward fit for a queen, all that the world could not give she will soon receive! All heaven awaits the arrival of this well known servant of the King and surely she will hear Him say “Well done thou good and faithful servant”. If there is one message I would choose to pass along to all who read these words it would be this: the trials, tribulations, troubles and despair that you have experienced in this life are all the world truly has to offer, and nothing more! Oh you may think that there is more, sure you may enjoy sports, family, and so much more, all of which I too enjoy. But one the one thing you can never have without Jesus is the most important of all, eternal peace. This peace cannot be purchased, it cannot be earned, it cannot be found in any other way, it can only be found by believing that Jesus is the son of God and by choosing to allow Him to be Lord of your life. “You may have all of this world, just give me Jesus”!
Gene Burroughs
PS Dawn is unresponsive these days, her pain level is rather high and the slightest movement causes her great pain and frustration. There will soon be a day when her healing is complete; either here or in heaven she will be healed. This healing will come by His hand and in His time, and as my children and I have talked at length about it will be ultimately the very best because after all He wants what is best for all of us, even those who deny Him.
There is a very simple song written by Fernando Ortega and recorded by many that has the best four word chorus anyone could ever ask for; “Give me Jesus”. The version I enjoy most was recorded by Vince Gill. The biggest challenge of this song however is to get through it without weeping profusely, which I might add I have rarely if ever been able to accomplish. A few mornings ago Dawn and I had one of those extra special opportunities to spend a quiet moment together prior to the waking of the remainder of our household. Being fully aware that these opportunities may soon be gone and now unable to converse with Dawn I chose to play Vince’s version of the song over Dawn. As I sat there listening to the words and thinking of our many years shared in service to the Lord, (crying of course) a particular line of the song struck me as it never had before. While I’m convinced that Fernando had an understanding of the depth of this phrase (after all he wrote it), I’m equally convinced that most people are unable to, simply because they have never truly needed to. In this phrase he writes; “you may have all of this world, just give me Jesus”. You see this statement can easily be accepted with the simplicity of which it was written, however when you truly have had all this world can offer, and have come to the end of days, it is only then that you truly do understand how little this world can give. You see Dawn has been diagnosed, she has received all of the treatments, there is nothing else that this world can offer her, I, our children, or anyone else that will take away the pain of our impending loss, her gain. The world had its chance with Dawn, in this life it offered her despair, trials, pain, and eventually sickness unto death. Yet in its attempt to utterly destroy her she has become victorious, she found hope, joy, salvation, love, and so much more! She found along her way a savior, a promise for the future. She defied the world, she beat the odds, and she shared this Jesus with everyone she met, Dawn has given her all and now she will follow the lead of her savior and defeat the world one final time! She will reap the rewards that the world cannot give, healing for an eternity, a crown of jewels, a reward fit for a queen, all that the world could not give she will soon receive! All heaven awaits the arrival of this well known servant of the King and surely she will hear Him say “Well done thou good and faithful servant”. If there is one message I would choose to pass along to all who read these words it would be this: the trials, tribulations, troubles and despair that you have experienced in this life are all the world truly has to offer, and nothing more! Oh you may think that there is more, sure you may enjoy sports, family, and so much more, all of which I too enjoy. But one the one thing you can never have without Jesus is the most important of all, eternal peace. This peace cannot be purchased, it cannot be earned, it cannot be found in any other way, it can only be found by believing that Jesus is the son of God and by choosing to allow Him to be Lord of your life. “You may have all of this world, just give me Jesus”!
Gene Burroughs
PS Dawn is unresponsive these days, her pain level is rather high and the slightest movement causes her great pain and frustration. There will soon be a day when her healing is complete; either here or in heaven she will be healed. This healing will come by His hand and in His time, and as my children and I have talked at length about it will be ultimately the very best because after all He wants what is best for all of us, even those who deny Him.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
The Room of Regrets
“The Room of Regrets”
When you are facing a trial that is as intense as the one we have found ourselves in you visit often the “room of regrets”, you know that place in each of our brains where we store up the “shoulda, coulda, woulda” stuff. We tend to avoid this room much like the hall closet where everyone just opens the door enough to shove in that item we need to hide. The problem is that some day that closet will need to be cleaned, someday we will need something tucked away in there, and no matter how much we do not want to be the one to deal with it, we must, so in we go. With Dawn facing (short of intervention by the Lord) her entrance into the Lords presence I have found myself spending a lot of time in the “room of regrets” seeking to clean it out before it’s too late. You see once Dawn has moved on the door becomes locked, it will still exist of course, however I will no longer be able to clean it up. This room will then become a constant reminder of the shoulda, coulda, woulda, burdens of life, a permanent sanctuary of the things in life that would seek to bring me down, a chamber of negative thoughts locked away forever. Their only purpose to cause me pain and remind me of my failures in regards to my relationship with my wife. You see I know about this room all too well, I have another room, filled with those regrets. In 1988 my father died without warning from a massive MI (heart attack), and the door to the room of regrets between he and I was locked forever with no opportunity for cleaning. It remains to this day a room filled with the “shoulda, coulda, woulda’s “of our relationship, a constant reminder of all the things we left unsaid, the hurt, the pain, and the selfishness of our interaction. Thankfully the Lord has also placed a lock upon that door, and His is made of blood, the redeeming blood of Jesus, the sacrificial blood of the lamb that heals wounds, and brings about forgiveness. Oh yes it eases the pain, but the memories will always remain.
Dawn and I have had the wonderful opportunity over the past few months to clean this room, to empty it out, and to refill it with joy, peace, and healing, it is no longer the room of regrets a place of destruction, no now it is the room of restoration. No longer will it be a room to be avoided, but rather now a place of refuge, a place of strength, a place of healing, and a room to be treasured. A room where the blood of the lamb provides warmth and comfort like that favorite blanket on a cold winter night, in front of a warming fire. Oh what joy I have in knowing that each one of my children will not be left with a room of regret where their mother is concerned, for they have been blessed by the peace of our God.
My question now has become one of deeper concern, are there other rooms that I have hidden away, are there those closets in my life as the results of broken relationships with others? If so then I must find them and while I am able I must open the door, and clean up the mess, the one I have been avoiding for so long. How about you, do you have “rooms of regrets” closets or warehouses filled with anger, resentment, and hurtful words cast out in a moment of rage? If so may I suggest that you too do yourself the favor of cleaning them up, our God will give you strength, and there is “healing in His wings”. The only regret will be if someday, somehow, this room becomes locked forever a tomb filled with pain and suffering, a “room of regrets”.
Gene Burroughs
PS. Dawn spends most of her time sleeping these days; she eats very little and has become extremely weak. We thank you all for your continued prayers, love, support, cards, and meals, for we know without them we would never make it through our pain, but our God is able and He has truly become our strength!
When you are facing a trial that is as intense as the one we have found ourselves in you visit often the “room of regrets”, you know that place in each of our brains where we store up the “shoulda, coulda, woulda” stuff. We tend to avoid this room much like the hall closet where everyone just opens the door enough to shove in that item we need to hide. The problem is that some day that closet will need to be cleaned, someday we will need something tucked away in there, and no matter how much we do not want to be the one to deal with it, we must, so in we go. With Dawn facing (short of intervention by the Lord) her entrance into the Lords presence I have found myself spending a lot of time in the “room of regrets” seeking to clean it out before it’s too late. You see once Dawn has moved on the door becomes locked, it will still exist of course, however I will no longer be able to clean it up. This room will then become a constant reminder of the shoulda, coulda, woulda, burdens of life, a permanent sanctuary of the things in life that would seek to bring me down, a chamber of negative thoughts locked away forever. Their only purpose to cause me pain and remind me of my failures in regards to my relationship with my wife. You see I know about this room all too well, I have another room, filled with those regrets. In 1988 my father died without warning from a massive MI (heart attack), and the door to the room of regrets between he and I was locked forever with no opportunity for cleaning. It remains to this day a room filled with the “shoulda, coulda, woulda’s “of our relationship, a constant reminder of all the things we left unsaid, the hurt, the pain, and the selfishness of our interaction. Thankfully the Lord has also placed a lock upon that door, and His is made of blood, the redeeming blood of Jesus, the sacrificial blood of the lamb that heals wounds, and brings about forgiveness. Oh yes it eases the pain, but the memories will always remain.
Dawn and I have had the wonderful opportunity over the past few months to clean this room, to empty it out, and to refill it with joy, peace, and healing, it is no longer the room of regrets a place of destruction, no now it is the room of restoration. No longer will it be a room to be avoided, but rather now a place of refuge, a place of strength, a place of healing, and a room to be treasured. A room where the blood of the lamb provides warmth and comfort like that favorite blanket on a cold winter night, in front of a warming fire. Oh what joy I have in knowing that each one of my children will not be left with a room of regret where their mother is concerned, for they have been blessed by the peace of our God.
My question now has become one of deeper concern, are there other rooms that I have hidden away, are there those closets in my life as the results of broken relationships with others? If so then I must find them and while I am able I must open the door, and clean up the mess, the one I have been avoiding for so long. How about you, do you have “rooms of regrets” closets or warehouses filled with anger, resentment, and hurtful words cast out in a moment of rage? If so may I suggest that you too do yourself the favor of cleaning them up, our God will give you strength, and there is “healing in His wings”. The only regret will be if someday, somehow, this room becomes locked forever a tomb filled with pain and suffering, a “room of regrets”.
Gene Burroughs
PS. Dawn spends most of her time sleeping these days; she eats very little and has become extremely weak. We thank you all for your continued prayers, love, support, cards, and meals, for we know without them we would never make it through our pain, but our God is able and He has truly become our strength!
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