You’ll live
Today’s Lectio is from John 14: 15-21. As I read the Gospel this week, these words stuck out to me: you will live.
Verses 18 & 19 —
I will not leave you desolate; I will not leave you as orphans — I will come to you.
The world will not see me — but you will see me, because I live and you will live also.
You will live is in bold in my Lector’s guide … and it’s the phrase burning into my heart, too.
“Ah, you’ll live,” was the phrase my parents used to help us brush past the scrapes and bruises that come from living on a farm. Me being very cautious and a little dramatic, (and them being NOT that) I’m sure it’s a phrase they used a lot. Get up, child! Live!
I smile thinking back to my grandpa Herman, who at times, thought it his life mission to toughen me up. I don’t really like to get dirty or sweaty — or hurt — so, like, I’ll just stay inside, ok? Yet, he kept coming to me — inviting me to venture forth…and teaching me some lessons about trust along the way.
The physical wounds heal quickly.
The heart wounds — that’s where we most need to hear: “Ah, you’ll live.”
…except, we don’t need to hear it: we need to believe it.
We need to experience it as true, so that it can root deep into hearts — covering that wound and healing it.
“Ah, you’ll live”…it’s like our family’s mantra to get up and keep going — to keep pushing…to never give up hope. They can have that attitude because they’ve lived it. We’ve lived it.
I’m sure there were days after Dan passed that they wondered, will she live? Can her heart recover? Will she find LIFE again?
…yet, those times brought me closer to Jesus — because even though I felt desolate, my arms empty when the desire in my heart was for filling! - Jesus came to me.
Young Jessica liked to remind her mother that she didn’t know the struggles I did; she didn’t have to wait for love or wonder if she was in the right place…she didn’t have to “push through” the same things I did. While she and I haven’t experienced the same toils — we have both encountered Jesus the midst of our life: filling us with life in the ordinary…and extraordinary faith.
My parents gave me the gift of persevering faith with this mantra.
“Ah, you’ll live,” is the belief that our faith is NOT in what we see - relying upon sight —or this world, or a certain circumstance - that is not what we root into. Our roots press into God Himself — the Creator, the Light, Faithfulness personified, Love embodied — the Resurrection — and the Life.
“Ah, you’ll live,” is a mantra of hope. Our God is a God who REDEEMS all life sends our way to destroy us and leave us desolate. He works ALL THINGS together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purposes (as my mom quoted to me in the first month of college back in September 1998, and I rooted into those truths; holding onto them through uncertainties and hazy paths).
“Ah, you’ll live,” is a mantra of love. Our God is LIFE. With that phrase and the example of their lives, my parents emblazoned this truth into my mind, heart, and soul. They rooted me into this…and on the days, I feel desolate: they remind me, you’ll live.
You will live, Jessica — because our God LIVES. Nothing this world throws at you will destroy your life. Even if you lose sight of it, you will not lose it. You are sealed. God is within you — and you are His. He will never stop fighting for your good — for you to LIVE —to know life and have it to the full. Until that day — and on that day — and ever more — you’ll live.
