So how do I stay so positive?

 

It's actually quite simple. I have hope.

I’m not talking about hope that a cure will soon be found for Alzheimer’s, although I do believe anything is possible, and reverse my Father’s condition. I’m talking about hope from an eternal perspective.

 

I know when we finally draw our last breath, that is not the end. My Father has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. And because he has trusted in Christ to forgive him of his sins, when my Father leaves this earth, he will be in heaven. He will have perfect memory and perfect health. He will be made whole and will be face to face with God.

 

God is with me every step of this horrible disease, giving me wisdom, peace and strength. I could not do this without Him. He is the reason I have hope. And since I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, I know I will see my Father again. This is not the end. Our bodies may be temporal, but our souls are eternal.

God-sized Hole

You see, we all have a God-sized hole in us. We try to fill that hole with things to make us happy – a relationship, a career, a child, travel. And for a while, that seems to work. But then something happens, a tragedy, a horrible diagnosis, a divorce, a death, and we realize that what we’ve chosen to fill up that hole with is simply not enough.

 

God loves you more than you could ever imagine and wants to have a relationship with you. But since everyone sins, and since God is holy and cannot be around sin, this creates a chasm between us and God. There is absolutely nothing we can do to bridge this chasm – religion, good works, philosophy. It’s not enough. God sent His only Son Jesus to pay the penalty for your sin and mine on the cross. Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected so He could bridge the chasm for us.

The Bible says if we confess our sin and accept this gift of salvation from Christ, we can then be restored to God and have a personal relationship with Him, the relationship we were created to have. Not only is our eternal destiny secured in heaven, but we now have filled up that God-sized hole with the right thing and life will never be the same. It doesn’t get easier, but it gets infinitely better. Now we have someone to give our burdens to, someone to fight our battles for us, someone to rely upon.

 

So what about you? What have you filled up that God-sized hole with?

 

God tells us in His Word:

For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23

The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I John 1:9

 

If you are truly ready to have a personal relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ, all you need to do is pray. The following is a sample prayer from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association:

 

"Dear God,
I know I’m a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness.
I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son. I believe that He died
for my sin and that you raised Him to life.
I want to trust Him as my Savior and follow Him as Lord,
from this day forward. Guide my life and help me to do your will.
I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen."

 

If you sincerely prayed this prayer, then you are a Christian! You are a son or daughter of God! I would love to hear from you. It’s important to start reading the Bible every day. The book of John is a great place to begin. It’s also important to attend a Bible-believing church each week to help you grow in your Christian faith.

Now you have new life in Christ!!