“For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death works in us, but life in you.”
2 Corinthians 4:6-12 NASB
As I have been observing the frailty of life, it has brought new meaning to these verses for me. On Thursday, April 21, 2016 after a difficult, painful battle with Parkinson's and cancer, my dad left his earthen vessel on the bed in the nursing home. Viewing his empty shell before the funeral home came to pick it up, he looked finally pain free and at peace and yet, as I stood there, the realization came to me that he really wasn't there. That was just an earthen vessel. We kept saying things like, "He finally looks peaceful and pain free." And in my mind I kept saying, "But it's not him any more. He is gone!" Praise be to the Lord, that He took him home to be with Him. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.Psalm 116:15
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