Death surrounds us every day. It is the only guarantee in life for everyone. If you are a Christian, life after death is a guarantee, but doubt about our future still has a way of inching into our minds every now and then.
It’s never easy letting someone go, but it can be a huge relief on our hearts when we think about our loved ones being with God and finally feeling that complete peace.
I’ve been thinking about death because I feel like the topic has been discussed around me a lot lately. A year ago, a close family friend was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer (and still fighting through it). A few months ago, a family member of a good friend was also diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Last month, a former classmate of mine died saving his roommates from their burning house. This, to me, was a sign of how God uses people in so many ways, even as their way out of this world.
Isn’t it strange, too, that we know we will all die, but when you know ahead of time that another person’s time is limited to only a few months, it changes everything? We don’t live each day treating everyone as though they might not be around tomorrow, but I digress.
As I’ve watched death affect each of these people and their families, I thought about what it must be like for people who don’t believe in God and who don’t believe in Heaven or Hell. For those of us who lose someone instantly and unexpectedly, the pain can be magnified even more. Our faith might be tested when we can’t understand our loss.
Could God really put us all on Earth, make us creatures who need love from each other, and rip some of us away so fast that we don’t even get the chance to say goodbye, just because He can? I can’t fathom for a second that He would want that for us. He has other plans. If those we love spent their time on Earth trying to have a relationship with Christ, I believe that we will see them all again.
I find it very comforting, too, that God has all of the answers and He knows what He’s doing. We might get mad, we might be confused, but we can trust Him. To me, that’s a weight off my shoulders.