The Beauty of the Gospel

"Be anxious about nothing, but in everything, with prayer and petition, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

-Philippians 4:6-7

The following is an excerpt from an email written by the RUF intern at New Mexico State, addressed to friends and family after the death of her fiance.

"I am at my parents house in Tyler now, and this morning I walked back into the woods to the lake where Paul proposed to me. I was flooded with memories of that day and the day we took our engagement pictures back there. It was great to go back there and remember all that, even though it was painful. It was also great to soak in the beauty of the natural creation around me. When Paul proposed there in November the leaves were changing colors and it was very beautiful. The next time I was there was in December when we took our engagement pictures. Now with the beginning of spring I noticed so much new life out there. The forest was a beautiful green, the dogwood trees were blooming with beautiful flowers, and there were animals and insects all around. I was struck by the amount of life surrounding me. It reminded me of the new life found in Christ through his death and resurrection, and the presence of life gave me so much hope (all this nature talk may be weird to some of you, but Paul always called me his little hippy-outdoorsy girl, so I think he would appreciate it).

Throughout this time of grief, there has been a steady peace within. I know this is not due to my own strength or will to move on. I can only describe it as "the peace that passes all understanding," that is spoken of in Philippians 4:6-7. Even in our darkest hour, God equips us with this peace, giving us the hope to move on."

Thank you Chelsea, for sharing the gospel with us in such a powerful and real way.

To listen the funeral Paul Stephenson you can find it on www.fpcjackson.org