HAS JESUS COME BACK YET? A 3 YEAR OLD CHILD ASKS
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:3)
Just a few months after her mother died, my daughter was full of hope of the resurrection . She had just turned 3 and was at that age where everything daddy told her was unquestionable .
Somehow the back door that leads into the house via the kitchen had not latched-on properly and tightly enough to remain shut when a gale of wind pushed it open . As it opened it made an audibly loud sound . Anyone could have thought that someone had just opened the door and entered the house .
“Has Jesus come back yet?” eagerly and earnestly asked Vuyiso . For a moment I missed her point but then I quickly remembered the motivation behind her eagerness .
Having learned and understood that the only time she could ever hope to see her mother again would be when Jesus comes again, the arrival of Jesus needed to happen quickly . After all that arrival would herald the reunion with her mother .
As soon as I figured out the idea behind the expectation of Jesus’ arrival, albeit via the kitchen door, I had to explain a bit more to her about the nature and form of Jesus’s second coming . The Bible says He will not come alone but with many many angels (Daniel 7:13) . And He will not come silently but with a loud noise (Mark 13:26) . And He will not come secretly because all eyes shall see Him (Revelation 1:7) . So there will be no need for anyone to ask anyone else if Jesus has come yet .
And so, disappointing though the news was, I had to present it to her that Jesus had not yet returned .
REFLECTION:
There are undoubtedly many who like my daughter are eager for the return of Jesus not only to be with Jesus but to be reunited with their loved ones who are now in their graves . Be of good cheer and hold on to the promise by Jesus who, before going to heaven did say,“I will come again” (John 14:3) .
BLESSING:
May you remain steadfast in your faith in the promise of Jesus . God bless you today
I maybe differ from you in that they are not in their graves. They are not there.
The following poem sums up my feelings. by Elizabeth Fry.
“Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glint on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you wake in the morning hush,
I am the swift, uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft starlight at night.
Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there, I do not sleep.
(Do not stand at my grave and cry.
I am not there, I did not die!)”
The whole poem is very profound and has, for me anyway, a deep meaning. Best wishes. John.
I’m not a Buddhist, but I think this is very beautiful.
Thich Nhat Hanh, in "No Death, No Fear”.
The day my mother died I wrote in my journal, “A serious misfortune of my life has arrived.” I suffered for more than one year after the passing away of my mother. But one night, in the highlands of Vietnam, I was sleeping in the hut in my hermitage. I dreamed of my mother. I saw myself sitting with her, and we were having a wonderful talk. She looked young and beautiful, her hair flowing down. It was so pleasant to sit there and talk to her as if she had never died. When I woke up it was about two in the morning, and I felt very strongly that I had never lost my mother. The impression that my mother was still with me was very clear. I understood then that the idea of having lost my mother was just an idea. It was obvious in that moment that my mother is always alive in me.
I opened the door and went outside. The entire hillside was bathed in moonlight. It was a hill covered with tea plants, and my hut was set behind the temple halfway up. Walking slowly in the moonlight through the rows of tea plants, I noticed my mother was still with me. She was the moonlight caressing me as she had done so often, very tender, very sweet… wonderful! Each time my feet touched the earth I knew my mother was there with me. I knew this body was not mine but a living continuation of my mother and my father and my grandparents and great-grandparents. Of all my ancestors. Those feet that I saw as “my” feet were actually “our” feet. Together my mother and I were leaving footprints in the damp soil.
From that moment on, the idea that I had lost my mother no longer existed. All I had to do was look at the palm of my hand, feel the breeze on my face or the earth under my feet to remember that my mother is always with me, available at any time.
Thich Nhat Hanh, in "No Death, No Fear”.
Hi. Daffy. Rarely do some posts reach the great height of understanding. They are few and far between, but yours is so wonderful and resonates with me very much. I am not a Buddhist either, but there is so much in Buddhism about life and death that can often bring comfort. Your experience with your mother was a ‘breakthrough’ into another world that few have access to. It’s not illusions but reality. That world is more real than this one.
YES! Loss is an idea which stays in the mind because of our conditioning. ‘Death is the end’ we may say. How do we know that? Can we honestly be so dogmatic? Like love it’s never my love or your love because love is universal, it has to be. We either have that feeling of ‘oneness’ with our loved ones or not. It’s not something we can conjure up. But maybe, just maybe we can open our minds to the possibility that life does go on beyond this one, and your post is living proof of that.
Thank you so much for that. John.
Hi Jonathan. That story Daffy posted is an experience from a Bhuddist Monk and his experience he had with his mum who had passed. If you google “No death no fear”. There is a book written with quotes and stories from those that have experiencs like the one Daffy posted. I think you would like the book.
Hi Jooles. Thank you. I will look it up on Amazon. I have become wary over the years after my experiences with anxiety and counselling about books. So many have jumped on the bandwagon. But there are books that stick in the mind, usually from those who have experienced the ‘breakthrough’. You may know that the moment of awakening is called ‘satori’ in Buddhism, or ‘enlightenment’ in Christian terms. Very difficult subject to talk about because, like bereavement, unless we experience it it has little meaning.
Many thanks. John.
I have a fairly open mind Jonathan. I’ve experienced dreams/visitations from mum. I’ll always listen to someone’s experiences and views. I’ve read several books that have given me faith that I’ll see mum again.
Hope you are ok. Have a nice day/weekend . X
I base all my stories on my experiences which happen to transpire from the lens of a Christian.
I am fully aware that we may not agree with each other in many things. I am fully committed to ‘sola scriptura’ and hence all my personal views have Biblical foundations and if I do not understand things I seek my answers from the Bible even though I know that not all things will have full answers, satisfactory answers or even any answers at all. I am happy to hear what others believe but I respectfully let them hold on to their beliefs too. It is good to dialogue without fighting and tearing each other like other people always seem to have an appetite to do.