NOT WITHOUT HOPE

Written by: Jenny Calvert

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.  1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (ESV)

Have you ever had that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach? It’s a horrible feeling. Many times you don’t even know what is causing it and sometimes you can identify the reason. The sinking feeling I have today is because of the physical absence of my mom. I am finding it even difficult to make simple decisions. As I go through her belongings I find a little box of coins. The decision: Do I keep them in the box with her fingerprints on them or do I dump them into my bank? It takes me many hours to decide to dump it. I find a strand of her hair and stroke it between my fingers. The decision: Do I keep it or toss it? I realize that keeping it would bring no consolation and hair is dead anyway so I pitch it. I open her quilt. The decision: Do I wash it, or let the smell of her linger? I decide to wait. These should all be simple decisions but today I am making them difficult. The bottom line is, I miss her. I can’t imagine my life without her. So I am taking one day at a time and trying not to call her on her phone but I capitulate to the temptation and call, only to hear it ring and ring. She does not answer.

I think it’s okay to be sad for a while. I know that with time I will feel some relief from this rawness. The Bible says that weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. (Psalms 30:5) I will cling to this scripture knowing that weeping might last several nights, maybe even weeks, but there will be joy eventually. For now, I trust that the Lord is carrying me and all the loved ones who mourn her loss through this path of sorrow to a place of healing. If we are willing, God is able and because we believe, we are not without hope.

Dear Father of Hope,

Thank you for giving us the hope of your promise. We know you will never leave or forsake us. We thank you that you carry us when we are helpless and that you stand us back up on our feet. Thank you for your solid ground.

In Jesus Name,

Amen