Our Daily Bread Designs Bible Verse Thursday Challenge #71 - The Way

Sorry that this is late this week, folks, I have been on the road traveling to 2 separate funerals and honestly forgot to schedule this week's challenge on my blog with all of the other things going on.

"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6

This is the verse I had scheduled for this week - not having any idea how relevant it would be in my life at this very moment. It never ceases to amaze me how the Lord puts things on my heart weeks in advance that He means for a specific time and place.

This was the gospel reading that my dear great Aunt Martha chose to have read at her funeral yesterday. I wish you could all have met Martha, she was a woman filled with the love and joy of the Lord and she shared it with everyone in her path! Constantly not only teaching but being an example of a faithful servant of Christ.

If we go back a little farther in this chapter of John, we hear Jesus telling the disciples about the place that He is preparing for them in His Father's house. Just a few short sentences pack a powerful punch. First, Christ tells us not to fear death..."Do not let your hearts be troubled".

We are troubled when we do not know what will happen when we die. Christ has taken that fear away - He has conquered the grave and death so there need be no fear in our eternal future. In conquering death, Christ takes away any reason we could have for fearing death because through Him we conquer it also.

The second promise in this verse it that there is a place for us in Heaven that He has prepared for us. What has He Prepared?
Rev 21:4 "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."


Not only that, but He promises that He will come back and take us there Himself! John 14:3 "and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you there with me so that where I am you may be also." I can just imagine Aunt Martha's first breath in heaven - and seeing Jesus there to welcome her. If you knew Martha, you know she was always smiling and joyful. I can just picture her throwing up her arms and crying out joyfully. Oh and then the dancing will ensue!

The last promise in this passage is Christ telling us how to get to this fabulous place. When Thomas asks "Lord, how can we get to where you are going, we do not know the way." Jesus answers "I am the way and the truth and the life." Martha believed this with every ounce of herself. She understood that without a relationship with Christ, there was no hope of heaven. She understood it and she did everything in her power to help those around her understand it as well.



Aunt Martha was many things, but she was always a child of God first. She worked in His name tirelessly all of the time that I knew her (which is 40 some years). When she was younger, she did it through actively showing people and talking about the love of the Savior. She did it through her cooking, her gardening, her constant joy. And prayer - always prayer. Any road trip with Martha was sure to include the rosary (both going and returning home) with a special intention for each decade. She prayed for her family, her parish, folks in town, soldiers, senators, you name it. Aunt Martha knew we all needed help.

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Your challenge this week is to create a project using this scripture or another verse that reminds us that Jesus is the way! When uploading your project, please use keyword ODBDBVT71 then hop over to Our Daily Bread Designs Forum and share it with us!

Blessings!

Supplies for this project

Cardstock:  Truly Yours – White Card Base; Bazzill – Coconut Swirl, Classic Purple, Heather, Wisteria

Stamps:  Our Daily Bread Designs – I Am The Way; Wendy Vecchi – Antique Lace

Inks, Stains, Paints & Colored Pencils:  Ranger Distress Ink – Shaded Lilac; Versafine – Onyx Black

Dies, Punches & Embossing Folders:  EK Success – Edge Punch

Accessories & Other Stuff:  American Crafts Ribbon - Lavender