Pain And Deception

As the Apostles were looking on, Jesus was lifted up.

— cf. Acts 1:1-11

On The Porch …

You just never know what might happen on the ride home from church. Old Earl probably understood that, but did he realize the truth of it? Did Earl ever expect for even a moment that Deni would tell him what she told him?

And who knew that a little bird, a friend of ours, witnessed it all. She overheard the whole thing.

It Is Written …

On the third day after he died on a cross at the hands of Roman soldiers, Jesus rose again from the grave. He remained alive on earth for 40 days where he was seen by hundreds upon hundreds of people. They were all eyewitnesses to his resurrection.

During those 40 days, Jesus taught his disciples many important lessons. At the end of those 40 days, he ascended to heaven to be with his Father.

In just 10 more days, armed with the knowledge that Jesus had given them and equipped with power and wisdom from the Holy Spirit, these men would begin the work of leading the new church Jesus had started. That work continues today through their successors.

Life Goes On …

“I died yesterday,” Earl told Deni. “It didn’t last long, and it wasn’t even that bad. But then, I was alive again.”

“You died, Earl?” Deni asked. “What makes you think you actually died?”

“It was obvious,” Earl replied. “I wasn’t feeling any pain at all.”

“So you think you were dead because you weren’t feeling any pain?” she asked. “Really!”

“Huh?” Earl said. The bird sitting on the mirror outside Deni’s window look very confused.

“You weren’t dead, Honey,” Deni explained. “You were just having a good day.

“You’re never too old to have a good day, sweetheart,” Deni said.

The little bird told us this story. No kidding!

Earl and Deni had gone to mass to celebrate the Solemnity of the Ascension of Christ. While in mass, Earl thought about how Satan had tricked him into believing life was made for aches and pains. It is defined by pain and suffering. And without those things, there was no life at all — it meant death.

Because of his faith, however, Earl understood that life was precious. He wondered how Satan might be using pain and suffering secretly among young people or among people devoid of the gift of faith. It seemed that Satan was using pain and suffering to make them vulnerable to suicide.

The old man thought about the Ascension — the resurrected Jesus returning to heaven to be with his Father. Earl was so appreciative for the gift of the Holy Spirit and the wisdom and grace the Spirit of God offered. Of course, he was eternally thankful for Jesus having opened the gates to eternal life for faithful believers. And he was thankful for his wife Deni too.

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Our Story …

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Vivat Jesus!