Grief with Hope
This morning was bittersweet. A dear, dear friend has gone home to be with the Lord. O what joy and pain flow together in our hearts! Joy because we know where this person is now. Pain because we will never seem them again on earth. Pain also because a family is grieving and trying to figure out a new normal. I praise God that as Christians, we do not grieve without hope. As I went about the morning, preparing myself to for church, I silently prayed. Of course I prayed for comfort for a hurting family, but I also uttered prayers of thanks to God for giving us hope in the midst of death. Death is not the end. While our hearts hurt and mourn, there is a peace that saturates us all in knowing that there is no longer pain or discomfort. As born-again Christians, we do not have to fear dying for we have a Home prepared for us (John 14:3). It's hard to imagine that this beautiful, God-fearing soul is no longer earth-bound, but rejoicing, in the presence of God. My mind cannot simply