The Victory Remains With Life

If two years ago yesterday began the best January of my life, then one year ago today began the hardest January of my life. One year ago today I was not sitting upright and alert on a plane, eager to catch my first glimpse of England. No. One year ago today I was sitting up in bed, shocked and dazed and hopelessly wishing I hadn't heard those awful words: Grandma is dying.

I need hardly to describe to you how hard that next week was for me and the rest of my family. After all, it is a story that is constantly replaying. Death comes when we least expect it and it conquers us. We can only watch helplessly as it takes the people we love one by one. Death is a constant reminder that we are utterly helpless on our own. But thank goodness we are not on our own.

My Grandma was a wonderful woman. She was a great example of faith, showing us what it means to live as one baptized into Christ. I will always remember her and thank God for this. And I will also cherish all the little memories I have of her; how she had desserts baked no matter when you showed up at her house. How she would play videos of the Irish tenors for us whenever she could. How she used to sit in the very rocking chair that I'm sitting in now. How she loved talking about history; family history included. How she took time to love, and care for, and get to know every single one of her relatives. These and a thousand other things will always come to mind when I hear her name. I never got to say goodbye to her, that is true, but I am counting down the days until I get to say hello again.

There is a beautiful Easter hymn that I never really knew until last year. I consider this to be one of the greatest tragedies of my life. It is based off of an ancient Latin hymn called Victimae Paschali Laudes, which I also discovered this past year. This hymn speaks about Christ's victory over death in one of the most powerful ways I have ever heard. And it hits home for me today just as much as it does on Easter Sunday.

Christ Jesus lay in death's strong bands

For our offenses given

But now at God's right hand He stands

And brings us life from heaven.

Therefore let us joyful be

And sing to God right thankfully

Loud songs of alleluia! Alleluia!

No son of man could conquer death,

Such ruin sin had wrought us.

No innocence was found on earth,

And therefore death had brought us

Into bondage from of old

And ever grew more strong and bold

And held us as its captive. Alleluia!

Christ Jesus, God's own Son, came down,

His people to deliver;

Destroying sin, He took the crown

From death's pale brow forever:

Stripped of pow'r, no more it reigns;

An empty form alone remains;

Its sting is lost forever. Alleluia!

It was a strange and dreadful strife

When life and death contended;

The victory remained with life,

The reign of death was ended.

Holy Scripture plainly saith

That death is swallowed up by death,

Its sting is lost forever. Alleluia!

Here our true Paschal Lamb we see,

Whom God so freely gave us;

He died on the accursed tree-

So strong His love- to save us.

See, His blood now marks our door;

Faith points to it; death passes over.

And Satan cannot harm us. Alleluia!

Alleluia! Christ is risen, He is risen indeed. Alleluia! And where He is there His church will be. And one day Grandma too will rise with all other believers and we will all be in heaven with Him, where there will be no more tears or sorrow. I look forward to the day. Come, Lord Jesus!