02/10/26 LOSS BEYOND WORDS

02/10/26 LOSS BEYOND WORDS

I have friends who post that they miss a deceased parent, husband, wife, sibling, or offspring.

I can relate because I often think about loved ones I now miss (mother, father, mother-in-law, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, and a brother I only knew for a few years). I think about the funny things, the happy things, the special things in their lives. I often turn to Martha and say (in reference to a particular loved one), "(name of loved one) would have liked this," (or "would have said this"). We miss their words, their attitude, their reactions, their presence. We laugh, we tear up, sometimes we cry together, or we cry in private (like right now).

It is nice to have good memories. It is nice to love and miss people.

Believers have the hope and expectation of seeing some of their loved ones again... of spending eternity with them in worship and service to God. Those are really good thoughts. There are other loved ones that we can only hope met the Lord in faith before they passed away. Loved ones leave an empty place in our lives when they are no longer with us. We miss them, but we cannot bring them back.

Sometimes, departed loved ones have not died; they just left us. We remember them, and we smile and laugh at the good times, but we cry because they not only left us, but they also left the One Who gave us life, the One Who gave us love, the One Who gave us laughter. They have been invited back to Biblical living, salvation, faith, family, and future bliss, but they love the husks of this world. They would rather wallow with the swine than sit together in heavenly places with the family of God.

The saying is, "Born once, die twice, born twice, die once." If a person dies in a regenerated condition, he (she) will live forever, but the person who dies in his (her) sins will never come back to God.

In His parable of the prodigal son, Jesus pointed out that the loving father was waiting and watching for the wayward child. Jesus calls the wayward to Himself. Loving families pray and watch the road for the return of the wandering loved one. Love is a wonderful thing. It hopes, it watches, it welcomes home the wayward.

Death is a destroyer, whether it is the second death or spiritual death. Sin robs us of true treasures. Satan makes his disciple a tool of his destruction. Not only are loved ones stolen away, the families of loved ones are also stolen away. The intended lifeline of salvation is broken between the initial rebel it is replaced with a chain of sin and separation. Adam is the prime example, but each person chooses to either be an instrument of God's grace or a one of Satan's useful idiots, acting as Pied Pipers, leading others away from holiness, perfect love, sound doctrine, and eternal life.

RESPONSES TO A QUESTION SOMEONE ASKED (about people embracing sorrow).

I can't relate to this. I don't know that I have ever known anyone who looked forward to being depressed or to mourning.

Remembering a loved one and feeling sorrow for the loved one being gone is one thing, but celebrating misery is different. Certainly, as Christians, our view should be focused on life, on thanksgiving, on praise. I realize that there is a "death culture" mentality, and I understand there is hopelessness for those without Jesus. In fact, this is one of the great differences between Christians and others, concerning death and the loss of a loved one, which leads to several other issues. A Biblical understanding of death and salvation provides insight and courage. I am sorry I was not more relevant.

I do know people who never get over the loss of a loved one. It actually takes over their entire life. They have not responded in faith. They have not cast all their care on the Lord. There is hope for them only when they trust the Lord with their loss.