Bacon, Eggs and God

Death

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

There is a sacredness in tears.  They are not the mark of weakness, but of power.  They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues.  They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition and of unspeakable love. – Washington Irving

The death of a loved one can drain us of our inner strength, because it is never easy to say goodbye.  But grieving for our loved ones is appropriate and expected; Jesus himself wept at the gravesite of Lazarus.  The Scriptures provide consolation and we can find comfort even in the loss of someone so dear to us.

God delights in comforting the afflicted and healing the brokenhearted.  When we are grieved by the loss of our loved ones, God is quick to offer us his peace.  In the midst of our sorrow, we can know the presence of God is with us; even in our sadness, we can draw near to him in prayer and worship.  Moreover, as believers, we do not have to grieve alone.  We have others in the Body of Christ who will help bear our burden and share our pain.

That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

The thought of death can trigger images of darkness, of grief, and for some, fear.  But God doesn’t want us to live in fear or defeat.  He wants us to live, and die, with the confidence that comes from knowing we can belong to the victorious, risen Savior who conquered death, hell and the grave when he died on the cross and arose again.

Even if we are assured that our loved one is in a better place, we still experience the pain of their absence on earth.  It is normal to grieve the loss of your loved one and God is not offended by our emotions or our questions.  We can pour out our burdens on him and trust in his love to provide us reassurance and comfort.  We can remember the many good things about our lost loved ones and rejoice in the fact that we were able to be a part of their lives.  We can share stories about the impact our lost loved ones have had on our lives.  We might find it comforting to do some of the things our lost loved ones enjoyed doing or to spend time reminiscing about our lost loved ones with other close relatives and friends.  We can also honor their memory by living our lives in a way that brings honor and glory to God.

It is important to remember that God is ultimately the source of our comfort.  The Scriptures tell us that God is the father of mercies and that he will comfort us in all our tribulations.  Be assured that God loves you and that he understands how much you are hurting.  Run to the open and waiting arms of God where you will find sweet peace and rest.

Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.