Death: On Earth as it is in Heaven

A seed hidden in the heart of an apple is an orchard invisible. 

A Welsh Proverb

This year, I’ve stayed close to a friend, watching her grief unfold. I've grieved myself, grieved with her, grieved for her. I never wanted to witness this in someone I care for so deeply, but grief has almost been another person in the room with us. I've tried to love her through it (and I will for the rest of our lives) and I hope I've been even just a little of what she's needed when she's missing so much. Grieving is hard, holy work and she's doing it beautifully.

Along with thinking about the lifespan of grief, I have also been thinking about death and what it means for us here. One day on the way home from taking Willow to school, I was listening to a song called Benediction by Josh Garrels  and I heard these lyrics:

“May you grow from a seed

Into a tall, fruitful tree”

Immediately, I saw a large, sturdy tree with thin leaves made of gold. Leaves that don't fall. Leaves that brush against each other softly and sound like a wind chime. It was so substantial and bright it almost hurt to look at it; yet, I couldn't look away. The leaves shone on everything around and brightened up that plot of land. 

Almost like that tree above except the leaves were actual gold. They shined like this one only more completely and in a way I can’t put into words. The light didn't come from the sun, but from within the leaves.  It was standing alone on its own hill and the base of the tree was made of something not of this world. Indestructible. 

It was perfect, beautiful, flawless.

The Lord put into my mind that this is what happens when bright, shining lights for Jesus die and I knew this vision was for my friend (and now, I know it's for you). That tree was once a seed that God lovingly placed into the ground to grow and shoot out roots.  The seed bursting through the soil of the earth represents the birth from the womb. Every second earthside means growth and change and producing fruit. When the growth on earth ends, when the seasons no longer change the leaves, the season of death has come. 

And when that person dies their earthly death, guess what? No one chops down that tree. Are you hearing me? THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF WHAT I'M WRITING. 

No one chops down that tree. 

At the moment of death, that tree is solidified into something that no man can destroy. Against all odds and the nature of death, the tree’s roots and the base of the tree become impenetrable. Now that the person is in heaven, their tree can withstand anything. NO ONE CAN CHOP DOWN THIS TREE.  No one.  No one can take this tree away.  

And it’s like this on earth AS IT IS in Heaven. 
God told me that exact phrase. 

On earth as it is in heaven. 

The tree, the fruit. NO ONE CAN EVER TAKE IT AWAY. The fruit of their life, the evidence of their growth, on earth as it is in heaven. Somehow this tree is both places. You visit the tree when you remember, when you tell stories...the tree is a legacy no one can take away. 

The fruit continues to produce, even in death. 

But this tree is not to be worshipped, sweet one, or you'll lose your grip on this life. It is to be remembered and enjoyed. It's FROM God, it's not God. It's evidence of God's goodness and faithfulness on earth as it is in Heaven.

The name of the song that God spoke through.

Benediction: the utterance or bestowing of a blessing; The noun benediction comes from the Latin roots bene, meaning "well" and diction meaning "to speak" — literally to speak well of. 

I didn't know the meaning of the name of the song title before I started writing down this vision.  What benediction means...where the word comes from…"well." It is well!  The woman I'm so close to and who I've been watching dance with grief has been holding onto this song from day 1. That's not a coincidence, God wanted her to see it. He wants you to see it. 

And the rest of it... “to speak,” to speak well of…that’s ALL people do about bright shining lights for Jesus when they're gone. It's their legacy. That’s just a bonus to everything above, it just blew me away.  To speak well of a person who is gone is to honor and acknowledge that tree. It gives purpose to their life and death and life. 

The tree: 

Strong. Sturdy. Steadfast. Shining. Singing.

Eternally.

Now that God's child has accomplished her purpose on earth, she’s in her eternity in Heaven. Every time I see a Fall tree with golden leaves I will think of this.  The sun and the leaves’ colors can work together to remind me of the vision that the Lord graciously gave me. For her, for me, for you.

God uses the nature His own hands created to remind us of Him

Over and over and over

When nothing makes sense anymore, know that the good stuff doesn’t make sense either.  In a glorious way!  His ways are far above our ways but that doesn’t mean that we’re too stupid to understand and we blindly follow Him.  It means that Heavenly ways are above earthly ways and they are good for us. We just can’t grasp them yet.  Hold on!

Isaiah 55:8-13

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven

and do not return there but water the earth,

making it bring forth and sprout,

giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;

it shall not return to me empty,

but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,

and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

“For you shall go out in joy

and be led forth in peace;

the mountains and the hills before you

shall break forth into singing,

and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;

instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;

and it shall make a name for the Lord,

an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

If you've lost someone, I am so sorry. I know I can't fix that, no one can. That's not even the point. The deeper you love, the deeper you grieve. To take away grief would mean you loved less. That can never be. Grief is real and it's brutal and it's needed. Grief will last as long as your love does.

This is one of my favorite pieces of artwork. Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, grieving in prayer. Praying, asking, knowing it wasn't changing his future but asking anyway. Sweating drops of blood, he grieved so hard. Jesus in his brutal grief gives you permissions to grieve hard and don't let anyone tell you differently.

If you can hear one thing, hear this: 

No one took that person away from you. No one chopped down their tree at death. That tree is more alive now than ever. The leaves are making their song and it's for everyone to hear to bring glory to God AND for you. A song of remembrance. A song of their story. You can sit under that tree and remember but you can't stay there. It's tempting to bring your blanket and cover up under that tree forever, to shut out the world.

For now you can, you need to sit there. That's ok. Needed. Expected. Rest against the steadfast trunk and let the leaves sing you a song. One day, you'll get up and dance in the field next to the tree. And you can go back to visit anytime. The good thing is, because God loves you so much, you can hear hints of the music everywhere you go. Even if you leave the hill or the field or the country. You'll hear the music everywhere. It will hurt and it will heal. It will slay and it will soothe.

A real life Golden Tree. In my mother-in-law's yard, who is now a flawless, indestructable tree on earth as in heaven