We know that grief is a very common emotion among us humans, yet when we’re experiencing it, there is nothing anyone can say or do to keep the tears from falling – the heart from longing – the mind from remembering. Our Savior, Jesus, knew all about grief. He wept when his friend Lazarus died and yet he waited to go to Mary and Martha for a little while. When he got there, He cried with both of them and proceeded to raise Lazarus from the dead. I often wonder how Lazarus felt to awaken from his death and come face to face with Jesus. I’m confident that will be the case with all believers who pass from this world. We will meet Jesus on a very personal level, because he alone has made it possible.

Recently we’ve lost many friends due to COVID. There have been those who passed because of natural causes, or it was just their time. Part of that has to do with the fact that our friends and relatives are growing older along with us. Some have passed quietly while others fought bravely until the end. We never know for sure when our final breath will come, but we can be sure that it will come one way or another. The grief and pain we feel when we lose a friend or relative is something that can’t really be described in a few words. There are many stages to go through, according to the “experts.” The “experts” can’t predict how the tears will fall unexpectedly at inopportune times. The “experts” can’t heal the pain inflicted as you recall times spent with your loved one. The “experts” can’t explain away the heartbreak you experience as you go through this process. Those who hope in the Lord will also grieve, but they have something to give them peace in their loss. That is the perfect promise of eternal life with our Brother, our Savior, our Redeemer, our King, our Jesus. He will be there when we rise, just as he was for Lazarus, welcoming us into his kingdom with wide open arms and tears of joy.

Eyes welling up with tears,

Hearts broken,

Aloneness,

Empty,

Cold,

Bitter,

Angry,

The light fades,

Days grow shorter,

Winter captures your world,

Sleep comes,

Followed by depression,

Fear,

Loss,

All these will soon pass away,

Life continues, even when death comes,

If you believe,

If you are connected,

If you know what God has accomplished for you,

Eternity awaits,

In the darkness,

One light,

One small glimmer,

Faith growing,

Confidence building,

Life will go on.

POETRY BY KATHY BOECHER©