Valley of the Shadow of Loss

As I once again walk painfully through the valley of the shadow of loss of that which I love, I am reminded of Paul’s words in the Bible about how he considers loss in the context of Christ. His testimony of realizing that Christ comes above all else helps me to understand that what I consider loss is nothing compared with the glory and hope of Jesus Christ and my promised eternity with him. As tears crouch down at the edge of my eyes, as my thoughts return over and again to what I am losing and the circumstances around me, I find myself getting sucked back into believing that I have lost everything. But alas, when I remember to exalt Jesus up above all else where He belongs, I know that everything and everyone else including myself are trivial in comparison. Yes, I hurt. Deeply. Sometime soon I expect I might break open and let the torrent of tears pour out as a sacrifice to the Lord of what I am willing to lay down for Him. In the meantime, I know that my hope needs to be in only one place. In Him.

Php 3:7 KJV  “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 
Php 3:8  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 
Php 3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 
Php 3:10  That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 
Php 3:11  If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. 
Php 3:12  Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 
Php 3:13  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 
Php 3:14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

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