It's raining in Atlanta today. It's raining in Capljina as well. I used to love the rain, especially walking in the summer showers on the beach in Florida. Hurricane Andrew changed that. An unwelcome drenching on the outside only served as a reminder of how helpless I felt on the inside. Much the way I feel now.There are hundreds of reasons it is raining on twos sides of the world today, Georgia and Bosnia. Our climates are similar, seasons a mirror of each other. Still, the dreary, damp and darkness once again paints a bleak, but relevant, picture capturing the essence of hearts broken globally over the loss of a sister, our "Sestra" in Christ, Marica Vega, who went to be with the Lord last night.
I choose to believe the droplets falling from the Heavens, though reminders of our sadness and loss, are the tears wept by Jesus at His great gain - a reunion with his precious, humble servant and most obedient, loving daughter. The disciple, John, could not mention his own name and Jesus' in the same sentence referring to himself only as "the one Jesus loves." It is true of us all. I can picture in my mind's eye as Jesus opens wide His wings, while Marica is now able to run, in her crocks, to Jehovah Rapha who has healed her, the one Jesus loves, of all afflictions and envelopes her now with the warmest embrace. Their tears are different, however. They are tears of joy! Marica is with Our Savior. She has all we could ever want for her. And, still we, and especially her dear husband Andrija, are left wanting . . . for us.
More time, with someone dearly loved who gave without exception, who lived as Christ asked, who leaves behind a legacy, a life, we want to emulate. There is never enough time to spend with one such as this, only time to be grateful for the privilege to have known her and apply to our lives the lessons and images she left emblazzened on our hearts. The Bible says:
Ecc 3:1-81 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
Marica has lived through it all. Nothing broke her spirit, and God fulfilled his promise. His love endures forever, through it all. So, let us weep and let us mourn for “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (Mt 5:4), but let us not forget to laugh and dance. Rejoice! Our sestra is in the arms of our Lord Jesus Christ, and I'm quite sure she is smiling her incredible smile with the light beaming down on her face, praising and laughing and dancing with us. She will never leave us. She is a part of us.
It rains today, but tomorrow there will be sunshine, and I will think of the light emanating from Marica's face. Goodbye for now, my sweet Sestra!
Volim te,
Kathy
What a great post. I met Marica and Andrija back in 2007. I had the honor of returning to Bosnia about a month ago. Our trip was very fruitful, but for those of us who knew Marica and Andrija before it was hard to go back. Our brother Andrija is a blessed man, but he's in pain. That was hard to see. Marica was a sweet lady. We had the opportunity to build and install a park bench in her honor in front of the church. Amazing and powerful!!
ReplyDeleteSteven
Thank you, Steven, for all you did on that powerful trip. I look forward to seeing it next year. I imagine Marica looking down on it from Heaven with her beautiful smile.
ReplyDeleteHvala, hvala!
Kathy