Is sushi served at the Lord’s banquet table?

For everyone who has lost someone…

When a friend or family member dies in this life, we who are left behind feel intense pain. Each time I lose someone, my world changes. I don’t get used to it … ever.

When a believer departs this life, I truly rejoice that they now celebrate at the banquet table with our Lord Jesus!

But back here… it’s a new place.
There is a missing voice, a missing smile, missing words of advise and encouragement.

It takes time to figure out how to do life in this new world…
especially because it’s not a world that any of us choose.

But then it was never all about us, was it? When we put our own comfort and our own vision before the plans of the Lord, we flip the Kingdom into our personal Adam-and-Eve-style fiefdoms. Many people dwell in that delusional world. It’s not pretty when it crumbles.

Scripture shows that the Lord’s heart breaks for those who grieve. He knows the depth of our loss. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4)

Amidst the struggles of this life, we remain a people of faith in Jesus Christ. He continues to direct our feet each minute and hour as we live in this new world. We’ll figure out days and weeks and years as they come.

Cathy made me try sushi. I actually liked it…well, most of it! We soon had recurring feasts with fellow sushi fiends Julia and Renee whenever they were in town. We’d sit for hours eating edamame, trying new sushi offerings, and talking about faith and life.

Tragically, Julia is no longer with us. She is on the other side of glory, celebrating a life well lived with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! I smile thinking about Julia. I wonder… is there is sushi at the Lord’s banquet table?? Julia knows.

New friends will indeed enter my earthly world. But it will take time to get comfortable in my new world.

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
Now if we are children, then we are heirs —heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.
For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope thatthe creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
Romans 8:16-21

Dedicated to all who have gone before me… most recently, dear Julia Green (March 23, 1993 – July 7, 2012)

Posted by Sharon R. Hoover