Earth to Heaven

I seem to be going through a stage of life where one friend after another is taking seriously and terminally ill, and sadly passing away. Normally, life’s events like these happen occasionally, but not for now. I have two ways to look at this, and react. I can take the passing of friends in a sad and grieving way, emphasising the tragic loss of a loved one to the spouse and family, and that is a normal, fit and proper reaction. In fact, this is very appropriate in the immediate aftermath of the loss. However, if we can find it within us, there is another way.

We are supposed to be a Christian country, but do we take this faith personally? Do we live the Bible we read, with all the promises it contains? I am fortunate to have many friends and family who live the faith of the Christian life, and believe in God’s promises. So, after the grief has eased (not passed, because humanly it may never go away) how about believing the words we read in the Bible we love? Words like: And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. Revelation 21:4  How can you not love these words?

Our loved ones who have gone on before us are not dead. They are very much alive and no longer sick, diseased, lame, blind, confused, or troubled. We have this assurance: Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 1 Thessalonians 4:13,14 and in the words of 2 Corinthians 5:8: We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

Finally, we know without a doubt that Jesus feels our grief and pain at our greatest time of loss. This is the reason we know that He IS our Saviour, and the One who stands beside us in our loss and for that time afterwards when others may not be in touch so often. Now, rest in and be comforted by the One who understands our grief best of all, as God’s Word records: Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’ John 11:35,36 How can we doubt His offer of that same love to us?