Today, while my brother turned 20, another brother went Home to be with the Lord. I never met the latter but know he was a man of God and attended my church's seminary. He responded to the Lord's calling and became a pastor at another state after graduating TMS. Apparently he was diagnosed with bone marrow failure and suffered greatly physically before his last breath. My heart is saddened for his wife and two sons that he left behind. I along with many others of the church are/will be praying for comfort.
How does a believer cope with and accept death of a loved one who was also a believer? There is definitely overwhelming hope that they will meet again in Heaven... but in the meantime, how will living the remaining days on earth without them be like? I know it's been done (my own EWG small group leader Lois has been a widow for many years and though it's not that she doesn't miss her Ernie, she is still as content and as much of a Proverbs 31 woman you will ever find who's also 87 years old). I know the answer is Jesus. I just don't know "practically", as in firsthand - experientially - how it will be like. I know it's very very hard and painful, and it's definitely not doable for the faith-less.
2017 has been a very crummy year circumstantially. Many tears, many griefs, many disappointments and let-downs and failures. Many deaths - of people and of relationships.
"Our lives have been turned a direction we did not expect, yet our faith is being perfected. We are comforted also by the fact that God knew all our days before there was yet one."
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