Three years ago today, at 11:44 a.m., I was holding my Mama’s hand when she took her last breath on earth. I’m not sure if I still know how to process how I felt. Dementia had stolen the vibrant woman she had always been, and yet, she was still my Mama. Come Easter this year, my Dad will have been gone for seven years. Not many days pass without Mama and Daddy being in my thoughts. Sometimes, the most unexpected things bring back memories that are so precious.
Grief is sometimes defined as sorrow, sadness, pain, and anguish. Grief is something we all face in varying degrees. Our hearts are broken. Sometimes, we focus so much on what we’ve lost that we can’t see what we still have.
As Jesus neared the end of His earthly ministry, He knew His disciples would grieve when He left, but He assured them that their grief would turn to joy one day, because there would be a reunion. For those of us whose calling carried us away from our families, when we walked out the door, we were already missing them. But we knew that, God willing, there would be a time when we would get together again, and the thought of that reunion brought us joy.
Although we will continue to face situations and losses that cause us grief, we do not grieve as those who have no hope. A family reunion, unlike anything we’ve ever experienced, awaits us, and our joy will be complete on that day. I’m looking forward to the day when I will see my Daddy and Mama again.
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