the hope that we have

Over the last couple of weeks, I've been faced with a lot of sickness and death. Several people I know have lost loved ones. Friday night I was at a funeral for a man who had been sick for a very long time. About halfway through the service, the strangest thing happened.

I started praising God.

The song 'Angel' by Sarah MacLaughlin (sp?) was playing, and I was looking at the shell of this man who had fought for so long. And I was overwhelmed with the beautiful truth that this man is home. He's home, and he's well, and he's free. He closed his eyes to this ugly, painful, heartbreaking world, and opened them to look in the eyes of Jesus. When he closed his eyes, all he felt was a hospital bed and I.V.'s. When he opened them, he felt the touch of God.

And as I thought of these things, I couldn't help but praise God. This man's family will see him again. And when they see him, he'll be able to walk, to run, to play, to laugh. He'll be able to hug his daughter, his son, his wife.

The hope that God has given us is overwhelming. He's taken the finality out of "good-bye". Yes, in the here and now, we miss those who have died. But, just as God's word says, we don't have to grieve as those who have no hope. Because we have more than just hope, we have a promise. His promise that death is not the end.