A few years ago, our youngest son finished college and accepted a job offer over 1,500 miles away. My husband and I were happy that it was a great job with a good company. There was a lot he had to do: pack up things from his room, pack up household items we gave him, find a good place to live, schedule the delivery of his things, etc., etc.
The week of his leaving, I worked from home for a few hours each day so I could help him the rest of the time. Between his coming and going, and going through the things in his room to decide what to take with him, what to throw away, what to give away, there was not much time to feel sad. Then, came the Friday he left.
Like the other days earlier in the week, I logged in to the computer and worked for a few hours from home. After lunch together, he packed up some last-minute things for the suitcase, and went for a run. I realized I had not logged out of my computer so I sat back down in front of it. As I was logging out of applications, databases, and files, the emotions hit me like a ton of bricks! I was overwhelmed with sadness – a different kind of sadness I had never experienced before, different than when we dropped off our oldest at college the first time when I cried all the way home.
I just sat there and cried. It was one of those gut-wrenching crying sessions. I cried out to the Lord, “Jesus, help me. I can’t handle this feeling! I don’t know what to do with it.” It was then, the Holy Spirit spoke to me by way of a thought – a quiet but strong thought that I knew without a doubt was not my own thought, particularly at a time when my emotions were so overwhelming that I couldn't think straight.
He said, “Your son has a lot of great things to prepare for, to look forward to at his destination: a good job, a new apartment, a new city to explore. When I sent my Son to Earth, He prepared to die.” This thought, this impression on my fragile soul at the time from the Holy Spirit immediately stopped my sobbing and my tears. It was as if someone just turned off the gushing flow of my tears. And He immediately calmed my soul and filled me with peace.
Through this thought, this impression, the Lord let me know that He understood what I was going through because His Son also left His home in Heaven to go somewhere. He helped me realize through this experience, the magnitude of the reason Jesus came to Earth: Because of His great love for us, He came to die for our sins. He didn’t have all the wonderful things to look forward to like our son did. He had death to look forward to. Yet, because of this, we can have a purposeful life while here on Earth to share His love and hope with others, and look forward to spending eternity with Him.
While earlier on I was overwhelmed with sadness, after this experience with hearing from God through His Holy Spirit, I became overwhelmed with thankfulness for what Jesus had done. It was no small event for Him to leave His Father, His home (and all the perfection, beauty, and glory that my limited mind could imagine heaven being) to come to Earth to die for everyone’s sins, including mine. If I was feeling so sad, I could not imagine how God the Father felt when His Son left. I. Could not. Imagine. Period!
This Christmas season, no matter what you are going through, may your days be calm, and your spirit be filled with peace. It is my prayer that you truly know the Lord personally and truly know how much He loves you. If you have never experienced the hope and joy of being in a personal relationship with Jesus, please private message me. I would love more than anything to chat with you. And here's a gift to ponder on: John 3:16 NIV For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
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