Eternity - by Linda Bracken

We made our way to Southern Ontario for the interment of Dad Bracken's ashes on Saturday June 15th. We felt privileged to see the transforming power of God's grace through the last years of Robert's life. He came to the place of having the utter assurance and peace of knowing the mercy of God to take away all our sins and transgressions by the Blood of the Lamb.

A few weeks before he passed away, his pastor was reading the 23rd Psalm and when the part was read "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for Thou art with me...." Dad interrupted and said with great assurance "He sure is!"

It was so good to know that he had come to the place of understanding that God's mercy is a free gift. It is freely given to anyone who will open up and receive it, no matter what kind of wrong things we have done in our lives. The truth of the matter is that we are all born wrong, born with the fallen nature of the first Adam. We need to accept the new birth of the Second Adam so the wrong is made right. God didn't send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. God doesn't make "bad people good" as a matter of fact He makes "dead people live."

The choice that we make is to accept the gift of Eternal Life...John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting Life." The free gift is Eternity.

In the title track song "Eternity" on David's CD there are three different people mentioned. A little boy, a teenage girl, and an old man...each person has different issues and each has to come by faith to receive Jesus as their friend and Saviour and receive the gift of Life Forever. The last verse deals with an old man in a hospital bed...he is alone and knows he has reached the end of his pain and suffering. He receives the ultimate Healing Package for his Body, Soul, and Spirit the gift of everlasting Life...Eternity.

We watched Dad's struggle with the pain in his body and we watched him surrender to the understanding that God's gift, free for the taking. The resulting fruit of peace was evident in his life.

On April 25th, in the middle of the night in his hospital room, Jesus made him an offer that he couldn't refuse...we can image Jesus walking into the hospital room and saying, "Bob you have a choice, you can stay here and endure more pain and suffering or come Home with Me and enjoy the best that our Father has to offer in His House... " We think that the choice was quietly made in that room, in the middle of the night, Bob took Jesus' hand and went to his Eternal Home.

The Gift of forgiveness was offered and received several years ago, then in that hospital room the Gift was unwrapped and accepted in all its fullness, the gift of.....Eternity!

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