
Grief...2 years ago, August 23, my mother unexpectadly and abruptly left this earth. Last year, my wife and I lost our first "un-born" child (a mis-carriage)...this year, my grandmother is about to join them in heaven. I expect the call any minute, any hour, that she has left this planet. Some people have grandparents who live in another state and visit on the holidays...not so for me. I only knew one set of grandparents; (My Mom's parents were dead before I was gorn). "Boomp and Grammie" have been a huge part of my life since the day I was born...and my life is full of memories with both of them. I am not ready for her to leave...
It was with a heavy heart that my reading took me to James this morning. While I realize that James is referring to trials and tests in the context of the church being persecuted, I also realize that I am in a time of "pressure" in another way. What stuck out to me about my reading this morning were these words; "under pressure, your faith-life is forced out into the open and shows its true colors..."
In a few days, maybe a week, I will be officiating the memorial service for my dear grandmother. Not all of my family are believers...and so I pray that during this time, my "faith-life" shows its true colors and that I am able to convey hope in the midst of sorrow.
I write all of this because it helps me process...and because I know that some who read this are grieving as well. Jesus was a man familiar with suffering, sadness and grief...I take comfort in that. My goal is not to be "fake" or pretend that I'm ok...I'm not. I'm close to tears 24 hours a day. However, beneath the grief, beneath the sorrow, beneath the sadness, I have a firm foundation...a hope called Jesus Christ. And in times like this, I cling to this hope...the hope of a new life to come, a new earth, a new body, and being reunited with my Mom, my grandparents, my child, and most of all, my Savior.
"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." - Jesus (John 16:33)