One Day Sorrow Will End
For the godly who die will rest in peace.
-- Isaiah 57:2
One of the hardest things we will ever do is face the impending death of someone we love. We see it coming. We may even know that death will ease our loved one’s pain. But, oh my, how it hurts.
We are fortunate if we know that our loved one is a Christian. We know that goodbye will only be temporary. Jesus Christ defeated death. Death will bring our loved one peace and freedom from pain and suffering.
It’s not that way for us. A friend once explained that when someone we love dies, we don’t grieve for them. We grieve for ourselves. If our loved one is a Christian, we know where they are and that they’re okay. We’re the ones left behind facing a life without their presence. That’s what hurts so much. That’s what’s so hard.
A few years ago my great aunt lay dying. She was suffering so much. It hurt to watch. She felt abandoned by God. This woman who loved Jesus so much and had led so many to know Him, felt alone. It was up to us, those who loved her, to remind her that He was near.
It was also up to us to let her know it was okay to go home. Sometimes people hang on when it seems impossible because they don’t want to hurt us. Mercy says to let them go. Compassion says our love for them is stronger than our grief.
He will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. -- Revelation 21:4a
God’s promise. Our hope. An anchor to cling to when grief threatens to sweep us away. One day we will all be together again, with no more sorrow and no more pain. Hallelujah! He is risen and death will be no more!
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