Ann emailed me after I wrote about a friend’s four-month old baby’s cot death:

Our daughter died in February – she was 27 years old. I feel for these people who lost their baby – there are no words for that – no words of consolation, but what we do understand is that we cannot survive the grief without God – as soon as I feel I’m going to lose it, only the Holy Spirit can give me comfort. 

Last week I received this message after I received your message about Life Happens:

I received the Life Happens message this morning – life happens there where someone cuts in front of you on the road; where a couple’s relationship is in tatters; where you are sitting in the doctor’s waiting room with the premonition that your test results will not be good news; where you’ve taken some poor decisions in life…

Then there is Death Happens – and I wake up in the morning wondering how it can be true – I simply cannot understand how my heart keeps on beating; I cannot understand how life keeps on going as it does. We get up and Life Happens, but it feels like the end of the world now that my child is gone.

But there is one thing I do understand – I trust in God, because everything is possible with Him; I don’t need to understand it even though my heart breaks into a thousand pieces more than once a day. God alone is able to comfort us – He sends his Holy Spirit to give us strength and to show us how to continue with life.

One aspect that again emphasises sadness and loss is your inability to understand what is happening to you and what the future holds. That is when an unshakeable trust in God gives peace of mind. The fact that you don’t know how and don’t understand does not mean that you cannot trust in Him.

God will carry out his plan and eventually you will have to call out in amazement: “He did everything well!”

Beautifully written, but it doesn’t make it easier when you are on the “Death Happens” side. You see, every time you think about the son or daughter or spouse or parent or loved one who was taken from you in such an untimely manner, it’s as if someone is sticking a dagger through your heart.

The hurt and pain do not go away.

Then, with everything in me, I hold onto the following: ¹²If we stick it out with Him, we’ll rule with Him …

Such a simple verse, but it is all that you can hold onto. If we persevere, if we endure the pain, if we do not give up our faith in Christ, even if it hurts like hell, we will live with Him in heaven one day.

I hold onto this.

That’s all.

Scripture
2 Tim 2:8-13

Reflection
What is pressing on you?
What are you holding onto?

Prayer
Lord, at times I feel things are becoming too much. At times, I cannot bear it anymore. Too many questions and too few answers. I struggle to hold on. Amen.