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Thursday, April 13, 2017

Your Dying Spouse 297 - Easter Rising, And The Incredible Lightness Of Dying {FMF}

Time to join Kate Motaung and the Five Minute Friday linkup, the timed keyword-driven writing challenge that produces so much awesome work...please drop by!

This has been written ahead of the keyword reveal; I have no choice, but will try to work the word in when I have it. (It's EMPTY, and fits the last line quite well.)

Life breaks us, and God remakes us.

The World broke His Son on the Cross, and three days later, we all rose, for all time.

I wonder how it felt for Jesus, that Rising?

He was remade to defy the Gravity of the Grave, and as He folded His wrappings (always the good guest) before leaving the tomb, I wonder if His Feet were touching the floor?

I wonder if He felt that so many things were behind Him, and for the moment He could just be?

I wonder if He felt the rising of all those who would die in Him?

I wonder if He felt the soaring hope?

I feel a little of this, I think. As things go from merely awful straight through to levels of horrendous I could not have imagined, there is a lightening of spirit.

As my body is more bound to its eventual embrace of the dust, my heart is moving along higher and wider paths.

The work I wanted to complete isn't finished. I wanted to pass it on as my legacy, but no matter, it's done. I'll pick up those tools again one day, in a place where they never need sharpening.

Those around me are moving ahead with their lives; plans that don't include me, and that's OK. No point in taking along someone who's not going to show up, not in this life. We'll catch up with one another, in a different place and in a time where all times are one.

The places that heard my voice and felt my steps won't hold me any more, but I'm sure I'll see their reality, incorruptible, in heaven.

There's lightness here. Life is letting me go, and I am returning the favour.

Please don't read into this that I'm giving up and letting death take me. I'm pushing as hard as ever to stay ahead of that onrushing wave, but it's neither in defiance nor fear.

It's fun, to see how far up the beach I can run before that emerald wall of water takes me to its roiling heart, and deposits me on a beach in Galilee, where I expect to hear the words:

"Dude, about time. We were about to drink your beer, and leave you the empties to police up."

Just for fun, here's Bryan Adams with the musical theme, Summer Of '69...



A bit of news..."Blessed Are The Pure Of Heart" has come home! Tate Publishing has gone south, and I regained the rights, so it'll soon be available in both Kindle hardcopy versions once again. In the meantime, if you absolutely can't wait (!), you can still get used copies from Amazon.


I have another blog, "Starting The Day With Grace". The focus is a grace quote from someone you might not expect (like, say Mick Jagger) and a short commentary. I hope you'll join me.



Marley update... been moved to a sanctuary, and Bay County will revise their 'dangerous dog' codes.

WE MADE A DIFFERENCE!

And marley has a Facebook page! Please drop by to see how happy he is today.


If you can, please do leave a comment. I am trying to answer all, and I am failing, but please know this - I read and treasure each one.

Below are my recent releases on Kindle -please excuse their presence in the body of the blog. I haven't the energy to get them up as 'buttons' in the sidebar. You can click on the covers to go to the Amazon links.














55 comments:

  1. Ahhhh, Andrew. What power there is in your first line. And don't get me wrong, in this entire post. I so appreciate your perspective and the way you express your truth that life here isn't THE end, just the end of this chapter of who you are. So beautifully, hopefully written, my friend.

    And I grinned the way you worked in this week's word!

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    1. Jeanne, thank you so much! Please forgive this late - and short - reply. Tough day.

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  2. Dude!
    This was one of the most fun posts to read this far. Thanks for the positive perspective in a physically awful place. Perhaps the weight of your body is beginning to shed. (Having lost 10 pounds in 7 hours last year with a bug that mimics your daily experience, I'll leave the puns to be had.)
    There is hope and joy in this writing and your song choice made me smile.
    Blessings on you and Barbara now and especially on Resurrection weekend!!
    Love,
    Tammy
    (I wrote a song that I'll share in my post)

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    1. Woo, you're number one and I'm number two!
      (and I'll refrain from any jokes about body functions that rhyme and oh my look at the time!)
      Can't wait for you to hear the song on my post!!!! :D

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    2. Tammy, thanks so much...and please excuse the late reply.

      Yeah, the weight's beginning to go, both mental and physical...and that' OK.

      So glad you enjoyed the song, and I LOVED your post!

      Love from everyone here.

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  3. Andrew, your voice reads like poetry in this post. I don't know how long any of us has here on this version of earth, but I pray we'll all be brave and love the "lightening of spirit" when our turn arrives. You've described it as I want it to be for me--joyful.
    Blessings ~ Wendy Mac

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    1. Wendy Mac - I LOVE that 'handle! - thank you so much for this, and please excuse my tardy reply. I'm just overwhelmed and uplifted by your comment.

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  4. "He was remade to defy the gravity of the grave..." love, love this, Andrew! Wonderful post. Praying for you strength and God's comfort.

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    1. Thank you so much for this, Bonnie, and most especially for the prayers. And please excuse the tardiness of my reply!

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  5. it's so hard to know what Jesus thought... And admittedly i've never tried... I tend to think relief. He went through it.. now he gets to rejoin this brothers for a while show them himself in the scriptures. He made it all so very clear to them. Woot woot eh?

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    1. Annette, I suspect you're right, that He WAS relieved. Woot woot for sure!

      Thanks so much for being here, and please excuse my late reply.

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  6. Listening to Bryan Adams to start my morning is a gift from you to me! A legacy lived in a blog. You are awesome dude. Keep writing and when God calls you home enjoy the next phase of life in the Heavenly realms. J Cook, FMF friend

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    1. Jenn, I'm so glad you enjoyed the song! One of my very favourites.

      I'm so grateful for your words, and I will keep writing. And please excuse my tardy reply!

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  7. Duderonomy...♥♥♥ every word.

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    1. Susan, thank you so very, very much! You've given me a much-needed smile.

      And please, please pardon the late reply.

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  8. This is so thoughtful and well-written, and I love how you incorporated the word empty! So thankful for the hope of Easter and that there is new life beyond this one.

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    1. Lesley, thank you so much...I really appreciate your being here, and ask your pardon for my late reply.

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  9. That image of the body embracing the dust, but your spirit soaring free -- so beautiful. I do wonder what Jesus felt and thought in those moments of surrender. Thanks for sharing, Andrew - I'm always moved by your words.

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    1. Jeanette, thank you so much for this. I find that as time goes on I wonder more about how the human side of Jesus thought about things...guess I can ask Him, one day!

      Thank you so much for being here, and please excuse my tardy response.

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  10. What a wonderful picture you drew for us friend! I'm certain you'll be joining Lewis and Tolkien for a brew or two as you worship our Heavenly Father. Save one for me!

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    1. Christy, I do indeed look forward to meeting those two for a brew or two...uh, kind of got lost in that sentence...

      We'll save one or two for you, too!

      Thanks so much for being here, and please excuse my delay in responding.

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  11. Struck by your words: "There's lightness here. Life is letting me go, and I am returning the favour." True words in the spiritual, there is an emptying of life, a letting go and being let go, in order to be filled with Him, to receive the depth of His newness even in this earth-bound life. I'm celebrating His resurrection with you this weekend. #7 this week at FMF.

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    1. Alice, this is great..."letting go and being let go, in order to be filled with Him..."

      Brilliant! Thank you so much for contributing this. And please excuse my tardiness in replying. I'm very grateful for your presence here.

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  12. One day he will welcome you with that beer and the words "Well done good and fathful servant." Happy Easter friend! I'm over in the 43 spot this week.

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    1. Tara, thanks so much, and I hope you had a wonderful Easter! Please excuse my delayed reply...hard weekend, but I'll be dropping by your site soon.

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  13. Cheers to you, Andrew! Happy Easter - and enjoy a homebrew on me. ;)

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    1. Cheers back, Annie...and the homebrew was delicious! :)

      (And please pardon my tardy reply.)

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  14. God continues to use you. Blessings for these unusually, kind, and thoughtful words.

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    1. Norma, thank you for this...truly. And thank you so much for being here!

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  15. happy easter andrew. GOD be with you in the days ahead.

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    1. Martha, thank you, and I hope you had a wonderful Easter. He is Risen!

      And please pardon my delay in replying.

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  16. " Life breaks us, and God remakes us." Andrew, I love your words here and your obvious love for God. You could spend your time complaining because of all the pain, etc., but instead you exude light and hope. "There's lightness here. Life is letting me go, and I am returning the favour."

    May God bless and keep you and continue to make your light shine. May this Easter be a special time for you and Barbara.

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    1. Gayl, thank you so much for these warm, kind words. I truly appreciate your comment (and apologise for the late reply).

      It was a good Easter for us; I hope yours was as well.

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  17. Andrew!!! I wanted to just copy and paste the entire thing as you made me smile, surrender, and consider as I also "wonder if".

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    1. Tondra, thank you for this lovely prause! I'm so honoured by your words, and by your presence here.

      And please forgive my tardy reply.

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  18. Andrew, I loved this: "There's lightness here. Life is letting me go, and I am returning the favour." You've painted such a beautiful picture of the joy that's waiting for each of us. You are such a delight to know.
    "He is risen. He is risen, indeed!"
    Shauna (your fashionably late neighbour in #66 today)

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    1. Oh, Shauna, your comment made my day! Thank you so much. You're pretty delightful to know, as well. I'm so glad we've met.

      I hope you had a wonderful Easter (and please forgive my tardy reply).

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  19. Profound, as your messages usually are.

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    1. Thanks so much, Jan. We hope you had a wonderful Easter...He is Risen!

      And please excuse the late reply this week.

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  20. May your Easter be filled with a peace that makes absolutely no sense from the world's standpoint ...

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    1. Linda, I love the way you put this! It was a good, and peace-filled Easter. I hope yours was, too.

      And please excuse the tardy reply!

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    1. Thanks so much, Regine. Blessings back, from everyone here! We hope you had a lovely Easter.

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  22. Even in your horrendous pain you have a great sense of humor and a vivid imagination of what being greeted by Christ will involve and sound like! Love it! Praying for you, my sweet friend, Andrew! And wishing that this Easter would give you a comfort that is beyond the visceral connection of pain receptors. Keep beating back death!

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    1. Beth, thank you for this...I really appreciate your words, after what has been quite a rough weekend (but Easter, pain or no, STILL feels like the start of the New year for me!).

      We sure appreciate the prayers. Very, very much.

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  23. I can feel the lightness in your words, your soul, as you express your broadening perspective. Such power and peace in your way of approaching the change that is to come.

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    1. Emma, thank you for this...I am so glad these words touched you, and so appreciate this grace-filled comment.

      Truly. I am so honoured.

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  24. This is great! The last line made me laugh and laugh. And all those questions about Jesus dying. I guess He was emptying all our sin and lightening his load and ours. I didn't write this week. I was empty of words. As much as thoughts swirled none landed on paper. Maybe next time. I will always read yours though.

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    1. Mary, I'm so glad you liked that last line...it's my favourite, and my steadfast belief in "what it's gonna be like". And I like the way you put it, Jesus lightening His load and ours. Wonderful economy of words to illustrate the concept completely.

      I'll be looking for your post next week. You always make me think, and your words make me a better Christian.

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  25. Your posts always make me think - which is a good thing. This one leaves me both hopeful and sad in an odd way. As always your write poignantly - thank you.

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    1. Carol, I so appreciate this...and writing this one left me both hopeful and sad, too...a kind of wistfulness.

      Thanks so much for being here!

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  26. Stephanie, thank you so much for this. That my words reach you, and have meaning for you...I am just so thrilled!

    And I'm delighted that you liked my vision of meeting Jesus. I think He and I will hit it off immediately. :)

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  27. This is absolutely beautiful. Thank you for giving me such a vivid picture of Jesus on Easter. Sending you lots of love and prayers.

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