To Live Is Christ, To Die Is Gain
Friends, as most of you know by now, my sweet sweet Elisabeth slipped off into glory on April 23rd. She is gone, but not lost. She’s not lost because I know exactly where she is. Heaven.
Well, here we are. I miss her and I know you do too. I’m not a writer but my beautiful bride would always tell me to speak from the heart, so that is what I’m going to do.
I’d like to talk about Lizzie (this is what most folks called her), to me she was babe, boo, dear, sweetheart. Lizzie had the biggest personality for such a small gal. If she was in the room, you knew it by how she lit it up with her big blue eyes and bright friendly smile. She was amazing. She was sweet. She had grit. She had passion for the Lord. She lived well. She suffered well. She died well.
Lizzie brought James 1:2 to life. She lived it. Although she was in a trial that should have taken down the fiercest of men, she was able to find JOY in it. And she would tell you that it was only because of the HOPE that she had and the FAITH that she had. That FAITH that has now become sight. I watched the Lord over the last three years take things from her (her health, her hair, her sight, her physical strength, and the list goes on) but despite losing these comforts, her strength and joy in the Lord only grew. Why you might ask? Well I’ll tell you why. Let’s look at James 1:2-4. It says this “2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
Elisabeth had JOY. Why?
Because she knew the Lord was refining her.
Because her faith was being strengthened to endurance.
Because she knew God was using this extreme fiery trial to melt her, to shape her, to forge her into the exact person He needed for Heaven.
Now she is perfect. Now she is complete. Now she is lacking in NOTHING!!!!
Lizzie ran the race and fought the good fight. 2 Timothy 4:7-8 says this “7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; 8 in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
Friends! She did it!
She has fought the good fight. She was a soldier for the gospel.
She has finished the course. She ran the race towards Christ likeness.
She has kept the faith. She guarded the truth with her life.
Lizzie has inspired me to live a life well lived, suffering along the way with grit, and keeping my eyes focused on our great Savior, Jesus, the son of our great God.
I don’t know about you but I am so excited for the day when I get to see my sweetheart again and serve our Heavenly Father together with her, FOREVER. The day where there will be a magnificent reunion. That day will come soon. Sooner then we even know because we are only here for a mist (James 4:14). This great reunion I’m talking about is in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. It says this “13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep (these are Christians, THIS IS LIZZIE), so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope (these are those of you who do not have Christ). 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
Did you just read that with me!?
If you are a child of God, this is so amazing and comforting! Lizzie, and your loved ones who knew Christ as their savior, are the ones who have are asleep vs13. They are the ones who we will be reuniting with vs16 and 17! They are the ones we will FOREVER be with the Lord together vs17. Fellow brothers and sisters!
Let us use this passage to encourage each other!
Let us use this passage to keep our eyes focused on heaven!
Let us use this passage to fuel our hearts to tell those who have no hope, that there is HOPE!
Friend, if you are one with no hope…If your heart is numb, cold, and confused with these passages you’ve read, if this is YOU…Lizzie would want you to know- you want to be where she is. She would want to see you at this great reunion. Friend I want to see you at this reunion. Any true believer wants to see you there. I promise you- you don’t want to be one who grieves with NO hope. You want to be where my sweet sweet Lizzie is. With Jesus. In Heaven. I’m going to tell you exactly what Lizzie would have said at this point: “Hey friend! Pick up a bible and start reading 1 John”. So pick up a bible and start reading. It is the Word of Life. The only book you will ever need.
Well you might have some questions for me. How am I doing? What’s next for me? What does this next season look like? Where am I going to live? My broad answer is, “I don’t know, but God has me in His trustworthy hands”. But I will try to share with you what some of my plans are knowing God has and will continue to direct my path.
How am I? Well I just saw my sweetheart breathe her last breath here on earth. That was not something I ever wanted to see. A piece of my heart went to heaven on that day. Yet..
Along with Job I can say, the Lord gives and the Lord takes. Blessed be His glorious name. (Job 1:21)
Along with David in Psalm 6, I flood my bed with tears every night.
Along with Solomon I can say, it’s far better to be in a house of morning than a house of feasting. It’s far better because its sobering. It keeps us focused on what really matters. Heaven. The Gospel. Jesus.
Will there have been a few hymns that have become bitter sweet for me.
I sing “It Is Well With My Soul,” I tear up and lose it at these lines:
“Though trials should come” – Trials did come for Liz and I. We would not have traded them for anything because we got to see deep things about who God is.
“And Lord haste the day when the faith shall be sight” – Liz’s faith has now become sight as she has seen Jesus face to face.
I sing “In Christ Alone,” I tear up and lose it at the lines:
“No guilt in life, no fear in death” – Liz had no fear in death.
“From life’s first cry to final breath” – Liz has had her final breath here.
“Tell He returns or calls me home” – He has called my sweetheart home.
I sing “Rock Of Ages,” I tear up and lose it at the lines:
“Let me hide myself in Thee” – Liz and I knew this was/is the only way to go through the rough, painful, beautifully horrible trails in life.
“Simply to the cross I cling” – Clinging to the cross was the only thing that made sense to Liz these last few years. It was the only thing that gave her Hope. It’s the only thing that gives me Hope in this dark storm.
“And while I draw my final breath, And when I close my eyes in death” – I saw my sweetheart draw her final breath, I saw her close her eyes in death. That moment will forever be burned in my memory.
And what about this new season? Well..I don’t know, but I do know how holds my future in His loving hands. I will keep my eyes focused on heaven. I will continue to follow our great and almighty God. A God who gave me such a wonderful gift, such a sweet gift, Elisabeth. The same God who created this earth (Gen 1:1). The same God who holds us in place with gravity. The same God who spoke the earth and all of its creatures into existence (psalm 33:9). The same God who will one day destroy Satan and death FOREVER! (1 Cor 15:26). YES, this is the God I will continue to surrender my life to every single moment of every single day. He will continue to guide my steps down here on earth, and then will guide my steps when He comes or calls me home. The eternal home where Jesus is, the eternal home where my sweet sweet Elisabeth is.
I will love my dear Elisabeth forever. My love for her will never fade.
I will close with a prayer.
Oh Lord I love you.
Lord thank you for saving my sweet Elisabeth.
Thank you for giving her to me, if only for a short time, and for my sweet bride even 50 years would have been too short.
Thank you for snatching her from this world of physical torture.
Lord I long to see your face like my bride has.
Please Lord let those who don’t know you know you.
Oh Lord please open the eyes of those who don’t believe in you. Open their eyes to know that there is only one way to heaven. Through the blood of your son on the cross. Through surrendering their entire life to you. Through believing in you oh Lord.
Oh Lord, soften the hearts of those who are reading this.
Amen!
In Christ,
To live is Christ (Caleb)
To die is Gain (Elisabeth)
Here is the link to Lizzie’s memorial service below.
I pray it will be an encouragement to you.