DEATH

Revelation 21:3,4—And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Eddie was killed in a white water rafting trip. He was 36 years old. Eddie and Sara were classmates at West Point. I did not know Eddie well but Sara is a dear and close friend of mine who now carries the immense pain of losing her best friend and wonderful husband. When Eddie dies, Sara was pregnant with her third child. Yet she was able to share her quiet confidence in God’s love and faith that He would see them through a deep valley of pain. In the midst of her suffering she asked how my son Bryan was doing. What gives a person such strength to see past horrendous tragedy?

Headlines scream with the reality that life can be snatched in the blink of an eye. The world mourns Princess Diana and Mother Teresa. I mourn for a family hit by tragedy. Joy is not lost however. Jesus provides us the strength to walk through the valley of the shadow of death. He gives life that overcomes death. One day He will live among all those who wisely placed their faith in His tender mercy. One day He will erase pain and extinguish sorrow. Sara, may God’s peace hold you and all who have gone through loss, high on God’s mountain of love. Eddie, we’ll see you in heaven--friend.

Inspiration

Death is a great dread. It is easy to say that God is love until death has snatched away your dearest friend, then I defy you to say that God is love unless God’s grace has done a work in your soul . . . Every attempt to comfort a bereaved soul apart from the revelation Jesus Christ brings is a vain speculation.—Oswald Chambers in The Servant As His Lord