Mortal shell

This morning, there was one more sad news, one of my aunt has passed away in Surabaya. Mom was at the airport in Kpg, with all the families, waiting for the body, when I rang her to ask about the news. My prayer is for the family that she left. My cousins and their father who was left behind in this world without the mother and the wife. She's 60 if I'm not mistaken. She has cancer for quite sometimes, a lump that was never really identified by the doctors. The last time I met her she talked about how her faith to Jesus has strengthened her during the time she feared of death. But she received all the good words from the visitors (us and the other relatives) at that time about the importance of keep recalling God's grace, resounding God's never ending love, God's mercy, even during the most troubled times in our lives, which in turn will avoid us from unnecessary fear. 

And tonight, my Bible reading suggested the passages that are taken from Rome 8:26-30, which talked about the Holy Spirit, who speaks for us in our weakness with unspeakable words, in our unspeakable sorrow, in our unspeakable moments. And about how God can bring all the things to be good in Divine perspective (which is not always in accordance with "good" that the human beings defined: health, wealth, prosperity). In Our Daily Bread, the illustration is about the family who lost their 6 yo daughter during a tornado attack. It took them 6 weeks to weep, to mourn on the departure of their daughter. But then they realize that their daughter has left her 'mortal shell' to meet her Savior, and thanked that their daughter has known God during her short course of life on Earth. The story goes on, and the writer of today's reading emphasizes that the departure of their daughter might have been their loss, their sorrow, but it was somehow will complete the whole story of how they should live their lives, why they are here on Earth and other 'whys' that may not all be answered during the course of our temporary life here. 

It is the phrase 'mortal shell' that reminds me of how temporary our life here on Earth. That this body is actually, just a mortal shell for our immortal spirit, to dwell in it just as long as God provides us the breath. Just as He calls us back, He takes away our spirit from the temporary shelter or tent (as Apostle Paul described it) to come to where it belongs: with Him, for those who has received His grace through Jesus'  great salvation.