79 days and counting...

Yesterday, the University of Dubuque held its first Service of Thanksgiving and Remembrance in the brand new Heritage Center. It was a worship service designed to remember members of the UD Community and family who had passed away within the last year.

It was a beautiful service. God was honored. The good news of the resurrection of Jesus Christ was proclaimed. A colleague of mine's wife was honored and remembered. As her name was read a member of the choir struck a hand bell whose note soared through the auditorium, piercing the silence with a soothing tone that slowly faded over the next five or six seconds. Her whole family arrived from all different points on the map. Even her college roommate made the trek. Needless to say... tears were shed.

As of today my friend has been without the love of his life for 79 days and counting.

I have had the privilege of sharing prayers and tears with my friend. The grief process hurts. There are three key words in that last sentence..
It's grief...
It's a process...
And it hurts...

My iWitness...

As a follower of Jesus I can add one more key word to that sentence (And so can my friend!).

The grief process hurts with hope!

I love how the Apostle Paul puts it... "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."
(1 Thessalonians 4. 13)

I, along with Paul readily acknowledge and confess that when a loved one dies, we GRIEVE! We hurt, we cry, we anguish, we despair, we lament, we regret, we pray, we wonder and we do a lot of other things as well.

But, and this is a big BUT!
We do all of those things with HOPE!

We know that God is in control. We know that Jesus has prepared the Way for us through His death and resurrection. We know that God is faithful to His promise that "though we die, yet shall we live again." We know that there is a destination for our loved one and for us that offers peace, life and complete joy. We know that with each passing day we move one step closer to a heavenly reunion.

For my colleague? He knows he is just "79 days and counting" away until that sweet reunion takes place once again...

And that's my iWitness...
Laugh often and Fear not!
David!