Faith, Hope, Love, and Grief

To be honest, it is still hard for me to get my mind ahold of the idea that Dad is no longer here.  There continue to be times when I want to give him a call and tell him something, or I think about visiting him, and then I realize that Dad is with the Lord.  As I reflect on these past couple of weeks since his death, and how Mom and I are doing, three things stand out for me, Faith, Hope, and Love. 
Faith is how my relationship with God has been a great source of comfort and strength.  When you lose someone this close, it gets you thinking about what matters in life, and causes you to pause and think about your own mortality.  I know that Jesus understands loss, grief, and death, because He experienced all three.  So being a Christ follower means I have a God to turn to who doesn't just sympathize, He also empathizes with me. 
Flowing out from my faith is hope.  Hope in the promise of eternal life.  As Jesus said in John 3:16, For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but shall have eternal life.  I know that because of dad's faith, he is with the Lord.  And I know that because of my faith, I will be re-united with him one day.  Death is not the final end for the Christ follower, it is a transition.  A transition from the life of sin, suffering, and death, to life eternal. 
Flowing out from faith is also love.  Love for God, God's love for me, and the kind of brotherly love that is found in the family of God.  I have been deeply touched by the love and concern shown by people, believers and non-beleivers alike.  But there is something about the family of God that brings people together in a deeper way that the world simply can't understand.  And what a difference it has made to know that people are taking the time to pray for us as a family, and reach out in other tangible ways. 
All of this doesn't take away the grief I feel when I think about Dad and how I miss him, but it sure makes it a lot easier to deal with.  As the Bible tells us, we grieve, but not as people who have no hope, for God is with us, and He is faithful to His promises for all eternity. 

Blessings,
Dr. Paul