"Cloud"

Mom went to be with Jesus,

About one year ago,

Sometimes it seems like decades,

And time has moved so slow.

At other times like yesterday,

Or even that she’s here,

Hasn’t even left us,

Her presence is so near.

Never have I felt this way,

‘Cept when my sister died,

Lord only knows the sorrow,

Or the tears I cried.

So strangely my old feelings,

Well up within my soul,

Don’t know all the reasons,

But sometimes I’ve been told,

 That as life takes us closer,

To heaven’s golden shore,

We feel more connected,

To those who’ve gone before.

They’re called a cloud of witnesses,

Surrounding those who run,

We keep our eyes on Jesus,

Until the race is done.

We’re finished with low living,

Good-bye to every weight,

All our sins and selfishness,

Will not decide our fate.

But He who went before us,

Our faith’s pioneer,

Now seated with the Father,

And He has made it clear,

No critic’s voice can stop us,

No demon sent from hell,

Not even our own history,

Or how far it was we fell.

Because by grace we’re running,

And that grace conquers all,

Even when we stumble,

And even when we fall.

Get up, keep on, my brother,

And sister, don’t delay,

The cloud has gone before us,

It’s now our running day.

One day the arms of Jesus,

Will tenderly enfold,

When all the race is finished,

And our story has been told.

There with that homecoming,

We’ll know as we are known,

The faith that was so tiny,

Will at last be full-grown.

And we will live forever,

Where no tear will dim the eye,

Eternally with Jesus,

We’ll get there by and by.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge cloud of witnesses to the life of faith , let us strip off every weight that slows us down…” (Hebrews 12:1, NLT)

The cloud or crowd of witnesses is composed of all those who pleased God with their faith in this life and now have graduated to the next. It’s as if they are in the heavenly grandstands cheering us on because it’s our turn to run the race. The clear implication is that if they could do it, so can we. And since they did, we should put aside everything that slows us down. What slows you down? It’s different things with different people, but one thing we all have to deal with is mentioned later in chapter twelve, verse fifteen, which talks about a poisonous root of bitterness which has the potential of corrupting many people. If there’s one thing that really weights and slows us down it is this root of bitterness. By God’s grace we must learn to forgive others the way we’ve been forgiven and let go of all grudges and resentment. His grace will heal us, and enable us to do so if we’re willing. Others forgave and so can we. And when we do, the race gets much better.

Lord, help us to run faithfully and lay aside every weight, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Ann Hanson, annhanson.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Ann, and God bless you.