Recovery Devotional 308 Crossing the River

JMD Devotional 308 John 14:1-6 Crossing the River

DO NOT let your hearts be troubled (distressed, agitated). You believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely on God; believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely also on Me. In My Father's house there are many dwelling places (homes). If it were not so, I would have told you; for I am going away to prepare a place for you. And when I go and make ready a place for you, I will come back again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also. And [to the place] where I am going, you know the way. Thomas said to Him, Lord, we do not know where You are going, so how can we know the way? Jesus said to him, I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me.

My brother Bill died a few years ago, near the anniversary of his beloved wife’s death. An awful auto accident took his life on the way to place flowers on her grave. I don’t think I ever let myself fully express my grief until last night. I had to be strong for my nieces and nephews, my dad and my sisters. All too often only funerals have brought us all together. I had a dream the other morning that kept me in meditation and reflection all day. I dreamt about Bill. He came in a little blue boat and met me at the shore of the river. Without hesitation I got into the vessel with him, so glad to see him, so happy for his company. I didn’t care that the water was choppy, or that the boat didn’t have a motor, sail, rudder nor oars…I trusted him to know what he was doing, I was confident that he knew the way, my only desire was to be with him. That evening after work I began to tell my wife about the dream when something clicked. I ran to my files and dug through old calendars looking for the significance of this day. I shrieked, “It’s his birthday!” I collapsed and wailed like I never wailed for another human being. I will not forget you, brother.

Dear God,

I am not afraid to die because my Jesus knows the way across the river. I don’t know how He will take me across; but I am confident He will. I only want to be with Him, and to enjoy Your presence forever. The truth is that You are in control, and that nothing dead is in Your presence: You are the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob; the God of the living and not the dead. You are my life.

Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by

the Lockman Foundation. (AMP)

Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation

*New International Version (NIV)

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)

I originally produced these blogs between 2006 and 2007, which were then published in my book, JMD Recovery Devotionals. In 2010, I am sending these out to a few people as I review them and see if my point of view has changed.

If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to my daily devotional, please forward.

jamesdinsmore_32907@yahoo.com

Short, concise, thought-provoking.

More features:

http://jamesdinsmoreblogs.blogspot.com/

Christian, devotional, recovery, addiction, purity, faithfulness, integrity