I lost my grandfather recently.
What I should probably be saying is that my dad lost his dad. My aunt and uncle lost their father. My grandmother lost her husband.
I don’t want to spend time talking about who my grandfather was and how much he meant to the people around him, although I could talk for a long time about that. Something tells me that you didn’t open this blog to read about that. Besides, that would probably upset him. He liked talking about Jesus more than himself.
I would, however, like to share a story about how God showed up in this challenging time that I hope will serve as a reminder and encouragement for those of you who have experienced a similar loss. God is with you, I promise. I can promise that because He promises that. He tells us that He draws near to the brokenhearted.
The night before Grandpa passed away, my dad sat at his bedside in the hospital and read him Scripture. He asked my grandma if he had any favorite passages, but he was a preacher, so it was hard to say for sure. My dad landed on John chapter 14, the beginning of Jesus’ last words to His disciples before His crucifixion, and read from there.
At the funeral, there were two speakers. The first was the pastor of my grandparents’ church after Grandpa retired, and the second was a high-energy evangelical preacher that impacted my grandfather back in his early days of preaching.
They both spoke on John chapter 14.
They did not plan that.
Coincidence?
Maybe, but I don’t think so.
In the weeks following the funeral, my dad began the long process of uploading tapes of Grandpa preaching on to YouTube. One of the very first tapes he worked on was a message on—you guessed it—John chapter 14. In that message, Grandpa shared about how John 14 is his favorite passage from Scripture, how much that passage means to him, and how it’s impacted his walk with Jesus.
Maybe my dad had a lucky guess that night at the hospital. Maybe the two speakers at the funeral got lucky too, but that seems unlikely. In a time where we could have very quickly lost sight of God, when the wind and the waves could have proven to be too frightening, when the enemy’s voice seemed to be at its loudest, God reminded us that He is still present. He drew near to us when our hearts were broken. He comforted us when we needed comforting. He strengthened us when we were at our weakest. He encouraged us when we were discouraged. He brought us a peace of mind that could only truly come from Jesus.
Those of you mourning today, lift up your head. The Creator of the Universe mourns with you, don’t miss Him.
Those of you crying today, the Author of Life is holding your hand and collecting your tears.
Those of you frightened by the storm surrounding you, the Savior of the World is in the boat with you, just look and you’ll see.
He knows your name. He knows your sorrow. He knows your pain, your doubt, your fear, and your heartache.
He knows who you are.
With mourning comes celebration. We mourn my grandfather’s passing, but we celebrate his impact for the kingdom of heaven in his life and praise God that he’s finally home.
Take courage, friends, our loved ones whom we’ve lost have finished the race! They’ve heard the sweet, sweet sound of our Lord’s voice: “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
Take time to ask God to shed light on where He is and what He is doing in your sorrow. David tells us that “the LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” You are not alone in your sorrow. God is with you. Ask for the comfort of His presence and the knowledge of His nearness.
And, as you think of Connor and his family, pray for God to comfort them in this time. Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica saying, “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.” Paul doesn’t tell them to pull themselves together and quit grieving over their lost loved ones. He encourages them to grieve with hope. Grieving isn’t unbiblical. Jesus wept over his friend’s death. Grieving is proper. But for us who trust in Jesus, we do not grieve as those who have no hope. Pray that God would continue to be with Connor and his family in this grief and that He would remind them of hope even while they grieve.
Author:
My name is Connor. I recently started an internship at my church leading our Young Adult Ministry while I take classes online through Grace College. I’m passionate about ministry, specifically in America. I want to be part of helping the American church change and grow. Read more of my writing here.
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