1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 ESV
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
I always wonder how people without faith handle loss and other difficult situations. Without faith, you have no hope for a future. Death is the end for people without faith. For me, it is just the beginning!
I lost my Dad in December 22, 2003. It was customary to bury him the next day. By the time he was transported up from Florida, the funeral fell on Christmas Eve. It was an awful day with pouring rain. Fred did not want to be buried on Christmas Eve. Nothing went according to plan; at least not our plan. He ended up being temporarily stored in a mausoleum until we were actually able to inter him in the family plot the next week. We ended up with two funerals as if one was not difficult enough.
Psalm 16
8 I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken. 9Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure, 10because you will not abandon me to the grave,
nor will you let your Holy One see decay.
We were very close and a lot alike. We did many things together. My Dad taught me the basics of how to live, how to act and how to fix things! He was a good man! He set a fine example of what it means to be a man of God, a faithful husband and loving father and always put his family first. You may not have had such a father. My father was the closest thing I could see to my Heavenly Father. He loved us no matter what. When I messed up, he would say “you’ll do better next time.” I was devastated when he passed. He was only 82. I thought I would have him for many more years. I was raised Jewish. In our faith, it is customary to light a candle on the Yahrziet or anniversary of a loved one’s death. I was not so thrilled about Dad’s death. It seemed to me that his life was much more important. I light my Memorial Candle on Dad’s Birthday. I want to be reminded of his presence rather than his absence. In a way, he is still here. I remember his love and his teachings as I go through my days. I prayed for many years that God would bring me a child I could love as my Dad loved me. The example of my Parents marriage of 58 years has helped my brother and me to understand marriage is for life.
Celebrate the life of people you have loved and lost! If you are a person of faith, you will see them again. They will be there to greet you when you pass into His Rest. If you were nice to them, they may even save you a seat.
From the Mourner’s Kaddish (Prayer or hymn of praise)
May He who establishes peace in the heavens, grant peace unto us and unto all Israel; and say ye, Amen.
Lord, thank You for those You have put in our lives to lead and guide us. They are a blessing to us. Thank You that You never leave us and give us the strength to endure the loss and grief. Help us to honor our grief and mourn this loss while remembering the hope we have in You! In Your name we pray! Amen!