Happy Holidays!!

Jesus, you have done all things well!

By Helen Jesze, 18^th August 2023

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33 ESV

“Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, The Lord has done great things for them. The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad.”

Psalm 126:2-3 ESV

It was on the afternoon of 11th April 2020, that the Lord took my darling husband, George, home to be with Him. His health had been deteriorating for a good while, and during the last three weeks he had taken a turn for the worse. On the Thursday before Resurrection Sunday, the words came strongly to me: “His feet are on the threshold”, so although the doctor had said he might live another week, I knew it would not be that long. There were no special Goodbyes or words to remember, as he was unconscious most of the last week, and with the sun streaming in through the window and the cherry tree in blossom outside, George peacefully breathed his last.

It had been a difficult last three weeks, as I was up and down, night and day, nursing and caring for him. Because of COVID 19, I had carers come to help only right at the end. Some kind friends wanted to come in and lay hands on George, believing the Lord would raise him up, but I knew his time had come. As I now looked at his body on the bed, so thin as he had hardly eaten for three weeks, the words came strongly to me and I spoke them out: “Jesus, you have done all things well!”

Yes, although my husband of 54 years was now dead, Jesus, you have done all things well! Yes, although I had not expected this: You have done all things well!! Your Will is best! Every battle with ill-health, every disappointment that he could no longer be taking much part in Life and that his horizon of activity had become so limited — that was now all over, and George had seen Him in whom he had believed; he was now vibrant and healthy, basking in the love and wonder of being in Heaven with his Lord. Jesus, you have done all things well!

Two weeks later, one of my sons and my daughter-in-law went with me to see George at the Funeral Home. He was dressed in a smart grey suit, white shirt and with his favourite blue tie. In his hands he held the German Bible which he had bought on going to Switzerland as a young minister in 1963. It was open at the 23rd Psalm, one of his favourites. At his feet was his English Bible. I still had other Bibles from him, but these had been his ‘tools of trade’, used in countless sermons in different countries, through the years. They belonged to him, even now, I thought!

As we were there and I looked at his body in the coffin, again the words sang in my heart: Jesus, you have done all things well! This was only the ‘shell’ which had housed his spirit, George was long gone! A few days later was the funeral. I was feeling qite weak and trembly as I had hardly slept or eaten for three weeks, so we took a folding chair for me to sit on during the graveside service. I just stood up for the internment and as we sang “Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine”. Then as the bearers lowered George’s coffin into the grave, again the words resounded in my spirit: “Jesus, you have done all things well!” They were not just words, I believed them and I still do now!

In every one of our lives there are situations we did not expect, would not choose and which we would do anything to avoid; paths that God leads us on which we cannot understand, which we may fight against, where we struggle to know whatever is happening. This may not be the death of a loved one, we can think of many other examples. I have had many other situations apart from George’s passing (and still have), where I have had to choose to say that Jesus has done all things well.

I want to encourage you today, if you are going through one of those times right now, that this holds true also in your life – your Heavenly Father has all things in his hand, — let go and let God work out his purposes for and in you. He still has a Resurrection Morn for you after the death of your hopes! May the day come soon when you will be able to say with all your heart:

Jesus, you have done all things well!