Janet Chase - Home In Heaven With Jesus

H OME IN H EAVEN

WITH J ESUS

H OME IN H EAVEN

WITH J ESUS

Janet Rose Chase

2019 Janet Rose Chase

Home in Heaven with Jesus

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation. 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Library of Congress Control Number:2018967145

ISBN 978-1-400324507 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-400324514 (Hardbound)

ISBN 978-1-400324521 (eBook)

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DEDICATED TO:

My Lord Jesus Christ, My Savior

C ONTENTS

M y joy is found in all the love I have shared with others. I have been loved much and have loved much. This I have found to be true joy: a smile on a loved ones face, laughter in ones voice, a twinkle in their eyes, memories that echo in my heart and in the halls of eternity. For a memory made is never lost; its like the wind. It springs up in our mindsno thought to what will be recalled, just like a windstorm or a nice ocean breeze.

The one true thing about love is it comes with a high cost, though most of the love songs you hear on the radio never mention this startling fact. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance (1 Corinthians 13:47, *NLT).

This scripture reveals the truth about love. Love is freely given, but it is completely void of selfishness. When you love completely, you give someone a great gift. You put their needs, wants, and desires above your own. Many times you will find that you will give up something you wanted, worked hard for, sacrificed or saved for, just to help someone you love. Material things can at times seem like a big deal. As you journey through life, you come to realize that material things dont compare to giving away a chunk of your heart, as in the death of a loved one.

When death enters the picture, your heart just gets ripped from your chest so suddenly and completely that it stuns you and is deeply painful. I have met some people, quite amazingly to me, who have yet to encounter this experience. I, on the other hand, have experienced this phenomenon many, many, many times. Once, when I was younger, I thought I would count all those I have loved and lost, and it was well over thirty. Since then, I have said many more good-byes and I have learned much more about this very painful journey into grief.

I have felt so much pain, so overwhelmed with some of these tragedies, so desperate to find relief, that I have literally spent days in bed wishing to be asleep. Wishing to feel no pain, being so numb I could not even function, to pull so deep into myself that I could not even find myself. Pain can be so debilitating. Of course, this is all emotional. In your mind, you want to so reject all the information you are hearing. It just cannot possibly be true. I remember on one occasion just repeating over and over out loud, NO, NO, NO! This was when my younger sister called to tell me my niece was murdered.

Many times when death comes knocking, we try to find out all the reasons why. I have already grieved for so many loved ones, even experienced the murder of a loved one, twice alreadybelieve it or not. The fact is there really have not been a lot of people who I can share my story with. I have actually seen peoples eyes glaze over. They dont know how to respond to such truth and most get very uncomfortable. Over time, we learn not to share. Our burden is so heavy. I have my family and close friends who have shared my journey and really helped me make it through. My real strength comes from the Lord. That is where my joy is found. This is also what I learned along my journey. Three things will last forever - faith, hope and love - and the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13).

Come along with me, as I share my journey and see how I discovered these eternal truths. At times, I will just warn you ahead of time, you will be amazed, saddened, shocked, exhilarated, touched, happy, and joyfuland my most favorite, the laugh out loud moments. For the laughter of loved ones, home in Heaven, urge me on. If my voice, my story, helps just one suffering soul going through the grieving process, I know the ministry that the Lord called me to will be worth it. Grief ministry is not a ministry that anyone of us would line up at the table in the foyer to sign up for. Praise God for His ways are not my ways. For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11).

This is why I share my story. Many years ago, I attended my first and only grief ministry class. I had just recently moved to our first home we purchased. We, my husband and I and our three teenagers, moved from Orange County, California, to Riverside County, California. Our new church offered a grief ministry. At this time, I was coming to terms with the very painful experience of the murder of my brother. He had his dream job that he worked hard to acquire; he was a police officer for Manhattan Beach, California. He had been killed in the line of duty, two days after Christmas, 1993. So long ago now but it seems like yesterday to me. I still miss him so! Anyways, back to my story.

A murder is such a strange thing. An accident is hard to accept when someone dies instantly. Like when my older sister died two weeks before my high school graduation. She was in a car accident. It was awful, to say the least. Thats why we call them accidents; they just happen. Murder, however, is on purpose. It is very hard and takes a long time to wrap your mind around murder. Someone took your loved ones life on purpose. Well, thats about where I was when I joined this Bible study. By this time my brothers murderer had been caught and brought to trial. He now sits on death row in San Quentin, California.

I remember going through this Bible study and learning again about how much God loves me, even in difficult times. How, just like Josephs story in the Old Testament of the Bible, God raised him up, my story will be the same. Although I could not see it at the time, God would raise me up. Just trust Him and live by faith. He was not finished with me yet; my story was not over. When I finished this study, my pastor really encouraged me to be a part of this ministry. Although he was presiding over this ministry, he had not personally dealt with the death of a close loved one. He knew God had called him to lead this ministry, but he always shared with us that he did not have the experience that we had gained by our grief. Over time, I became friends with this pastor and his wife. I also became a staff member at this church. I was very blessed to work alongside many people who loved the Lord, who lived their lives with the motto, what would Jesus do?