The Frog Who Went to Be with Jesus
When my granddaughter, Gwen was 5 years old, she loved animals. Somewhere she acquired a tiny frog. I guess she did not know that frogs were a plague, but that would not matter to a four-year-old girl. Even if it is a frog, it was still a pet. Little frogs in the possession of little girls do not have a long life span. Before long the frog died and her dad disposed of it. Her mother explained it to her by saying that the frog went to be with Jesus. She cried and said, “I want Jesus to give me my frog back.”
We all understand that sentiment, not about a frog, but about someone we love who has gone to be with Jesus. The years of 2021-2022 have brought me too many “gone to be with Jesus” moments. We all have lost someone that makes us feel this way.
In the early church, these kinds of thoughts were hurting many in Thessalonica. They grieved for those who had died, or as Paul said, have “fallen asleep.” To encourage them he wrote, “Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.” (1 Thess 4:13-14).
When frogs are gone, they are gone. When Christians “fall asleep” they will wake up. We are not really dead; we have simply gone to be with Jesus. Do not grieve like others who have no hope.
Lonnie Davis