When a Loved One Dies
This morning, my grandfather passed away. It is a Monday as I write this and typically on the blog my articles post on Tuesday and they appear in our bulletin later in the week. But today is still Monday and so fresh on my mind is the death of my grandfather. He was my hero, by the way. He was the missionary, the preacher, and (to me) he was the greatest man I have ever known.
I am sure in the next several months my writing and preaching will be very reflective of what my grandfather means to me. But for the moment just one thought I would like to share or perhaps it would be better said, one question I would like to ask: “How do you respond when a loved one dies?”
I remember just over six years ago when my dad passed suddenly, I had an immediate response to hearing about his death. “Wow, what an amazing father I had!” Seriously, that was my first response. Now, after that, I went through the normal grieving process just like everyone else does, which is comprised of about every emotion you can think of plus some others you never knew existed. But my initial response was gratitude. God had blessed me with a wonderful father. Over the last six years, his passing has only continually reinforced that fact for me.
But back to the question: Our answer to this question concerning our reaction to losing someone wholly depends on two things. 1. Our view of physical death. 2. The life that was represented by the person who just left us. If we have the proper view of death it will not overcome us so much that it was unexpected, and it will not be the worst thing that could happen. And if the life that was lived by the person who has died was a life in keeping with the will of God, then we will not be so sad that their leaving overwhelms us. Instead, we can rejoice for them because they have gone to their place of rest before their graduation to their eternal heavenly home.
There are special circumstances that sometimes occur with death that cannot avail us to have immediate peace. When a young person dies, when we lose a child, or perhaps someone dies tragically…these are not moments of joy but, instead, shock and dismay and even devastation for a while. But in time, if we have the proper view of death and if the person who died has died in the Lord, the peace will come to us and, with God’s help, we can eventually accept the separation we were not expecting.
I want you to know that whatever your response is to the loss of someone you love – it’s ok. There is no grief manual. Everyone has a right to their feelings. There is not a wrong way to grieve, there’s just grieving. You can’t go around grief, you have to go through it until you make it to the other side. And even when you get to the other side you will never come out of it as the same person you were before your loved one died. The important thing is to hold tightly the hand of the One who experienced death but overcame it. He will lead you safely through the valley. He will once again help you to rest upon the mountain of His peace.
I have to thank God today that my grandfather passed away, because I know where he has gone. I know what he had been suffering, and I know what kind of man he was. From time to time death can be welcomed, even embraced, and today was one of those occasions.
May we all live in such a way that our response to our own physical death could be one of rejoicing! And let us all understand that this is only possible because of the One who died that we might forever live.
“Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord. Yes, says the Spirit, and their works do follow them.” (Revelation 14:13)
To Receive Every Article from A Legacy of Faith through Email for Free, Click Here
AUTHOR: Jeremiah Tatum
