When Death Comes

1-24pm

It just seems over this new year that there have been a number of tragic deaths within my greater circle. Most of the people, I don’t know, but have only heard about.  Naturally, as I have got older, I have encountered death more often. There are more funerals than weddings. It is expected that parents will die before their children. It is when the opposite occurs that the greatest heartache comes.  My heart breaks for parents who have lost a child. Those are difficult circumstances to be sure, but when I heard of a family who lost two of their children, aged 18 and 23, five months apart, I had no words. What can you say to a mother dealing with that level of grief? How does she cope? How does anyone cope when they lose a child, let alone two? There are no easy answers.

All I can say is “God knows.” He knows that there is more to come. He knows that this life is not all there is. He knows that only part of your life is written while you are on this earth. The remainder takes place in eternity. It doesn’t end when you take your last breath. Your son,  your daughter – they are not ‘gone’. They are just not here. This is a temporary separation – that will end when God calls you home. Then, there will be a wonderful reunion – no more pain – no more suffering – no more tears.

John 11:25-26

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies;  and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?

We don’t know what heaven will be like, but we do know that it will be spectacular, far better than we can ever imagine and far greater than we have ever seen.  I don’t know what we will do there, but I do know that whatever we do it will bring us far more joy and fulfillment than we have ever experienced here on earth.

But for the moment, we have to continue living this life on earth.

Everyone deals with death differently. Some are philosophical. They cry. They grieve. They accept. They move on. For others, acceptance does not come easily. The pain continues. Time heals, but not enough. The pain is like a sharp sword penetrating into the deepest part of the heart and soul.  I believe professional help is essential. Go and pour out your feelings, your anger, your pain.

God does not want you to grieve for the rest of your life – and neither does the one who has passed from this world to the next. God wants you to live an abundant life and your loved one does too. First, though, allow yourself time to heal.

And don’t stop believing. There are always going to be things this side of eternity that we don’t understand. We will only see it all clearly when we die. God is real. He loves you. He sees your pain. He comforts you. He has a plan for your life and it is one for good. Keep trusting God. He will pull you through. God knows the pain you suffer – He knows what it is like to lose a child.

Be patient with yourself and cling to God.

You are in His Grip.

People are praying for you.

God bless you.

Helga xx