Abide.
Thank God that Christ’s love abides.
“Abide with me, fast falls the eventide.” A couple of old words there! I enjoy learning the old words from hymns. I’ve always been fascinated by words. I looked up references and definitions of “abide.” Stay, dwell, persist, survive, remain. Apparently there are several Hebrew words in the Bible that were translated into “abide” and each of them has a bit of a different meaning. In newer translations, “abide” is not used at all.
I think my closest associations are “stay,” “persist,” and ‘live.” The Lord abides with me. His love abides. Christ abides in me and I abide in him. You can buy t-shirts that say “Nevertheless, she persisted,” made popular in the women’s movement. I think it’s a great quote. I was just thinking we could have t-shirts saying, “Nevertheless, Christ abides.” or “Nevertheless, Christ’s love abides,” or “Nevertheless, I abide in Christ.” Abide is a good old word.
I am feeling a little melancholy today (melancholy is a good word, too, isn’t it?). It is my Mom’s birthday. She would be 87. She died in 2017, just 2½ months after my dad died. Thinking of her also makes me think of Dad and of my brother Dan, who died 12 years ago. I am grateful for the deep, heart-touching memories. I read through the things I put in my blog about my mom, including the eulogy I gave here.
The word abide is a good one to meditate on when remembering our loved ones who are no longer with us, and our own mortality. When my father died, I could not get the song out of my head that went, “Because he lives, I can face tomorrow.” I could not imagine life without my dad. The song rang true -- it was because God lives I knew I could face the future without my dad, and then my mom. Although my loved ones are gone, Christ’s love abides.
I don’t have a lot to say today. I just want to share the goodness of knowing that God’s love abides.
As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love,
just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
~John 15:9,10 (New King James Version)
What can I pray about for you?
love and blessings,
Mavis
If you would like to send me specific prayer requests email me at mavis at moonfamily.cc. I'll keep all communication confidential.