Grieving with Hope

“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.” — 1 Thessalonians 4:13-15

Grief. A profound sadness within one’s soul. According to Webster’s dictionary, grief is defined as “a deep sorrow, especially that caused by someone’s death.” A part of life that one would never wish for anyone to face. However, because sickness, pain and death are a direct consequence of sin entering into the world, we will all face grief at some point while living on this earth.  

I Never Knew Real Grief Before March 20. 2019, But I Will Now Know Grief For The Rest Of My Life.

March 20, 2019 is the day I was introduced to grief. I never lived a day where I knew grief prior to that spring morning, and now, I will never live a day again in which I don’t know what it is like to grieve.  Yes, I had known people that had passed away prior to this date. However, I had yet to experience the deep sorrow that comes as a result of losing someone you are extremely close to. It was the first day of the spring season. Green leaves peaking in the trees, and flowers coming back again after a long winter. Promises of new life were all around me. The weeks before had been heart wrenching for my Mom, my sister, and I. My dad was strong, healthy, and rarely got sick. But he had a heart attack out of nowhere. Ten days went by, three different hospitals, countless doctors, and finally, a promising prognosis. It was the day before the first day of Spring in 2019 when we welcomed my dad home from the hospital. We were overflowing with joy. I remember the evening as if it was yesterday. We had an amazing meal, and the most wonderful conversation. It was a relief to be back at the table together again as a family. As he held my sweet boy, I decided to snap a picture. Never in my wildest dreams did I think it would be the last picture I would take of him. Our dinner ended and we went home. The next morning my sweet father was welcomed into the arms of Jesus - His eternal home.

Grieving With Hope:

Since my Father’s passing, I have grieved watching my son grow up without his maternal grandfather. I have grieved the spiritual conversations I had with my dad, who was also my Pastor for most of my life, on a daily basis. I have grieved the counsel and Godly wisdom I received from him. However, because my Father had a relationship with Jesus, my grief is saturated with HOPE. You see, my Dad believed in Jesus. He believed that Jesus died on the cross for his sin, and rose again three days later. He not only believed, but he had a close relationship with Jesus that he could not keep only to himself.  Yes, I miss my dad, and yes, I still grieve.  Recently, I was sitting in my bathroom just wishing I could ask his advice about something. When I was growing up, I would often frequent his office at the church he pastored and we would share peanut M&Ms (he always kept a stash of those on hand) while I just talked to him and asked his opinion on various topics. Oh the longing of just one more conversation! My heart often feels the sting of death when memories of him come up. However, I am fully confident that I will see my dad one day again. He is totally and completely healed in the presence of Jesus. Worshiping Him and glorifying the One that saved him. Therefore, we grieve, but we grieve with the hope of being reunited again one day through Jesus.

The loss of loved ones  is hard to bear while sojourning through this  broken world. But friends, this absence will not last forever! We grieve, but we grieve with the anticipation of being together again for eternity.For those that have confessed their sin, and have a relationship with Jesus, we can be encouraged with the reminder that death is not final. Second Corinthians 5:8 states “Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” When our time on earth is done, we are present with the Lord. And one glorious day we will be reunited with those who have gone before us. We will dwell together again, this time in the presence of Jesus. There will be no more crying, sickness, pain or death. We will be made new in Jesus, worshiping Him together once again. Take heart my friend, this world is not our home. This world is not eternal. The pain of grief will cease to exist in the arms of Jesus. Keep going. Soon, we will be home.

Prayer:

Father, thank you for the promise of Heaven that we have through your son Jesus. Thank you that we can have hope in the midst of grief. Father, I pray for the person reading this that is walking through a season of grief. I pray they would be encouraged and reminded of the eternal hope we have in you.