Today I will be attending a funeral. The deceased is the grandfather of the wife of the children’s pastor at City Church. Wayne (the children’s pastor) and his wife, Julie, have been through a lot this summer.
First, their son was hospitalized for five weeks. Then, Wayne’s “boss” resigned from City Church, leaving the future a little unknown. Julie switched schools (she’s a teacher), and while that can be a very exciting and positive experience, it is still stressful to start a new job (she is supposed to begin the job tomorrow).
Then, last week, her mother’s father passed away. Julie was quite close to him. As they were preparing for the funeral and beginning the journey of grief that accompanies the loss of a loved one, they received news that her other grandfather, her father’s dad, passed away suddenly. The funerals will be two days apart. One today and the other on Wednesday.
What do we say during times like this? To be honest, I’m not sure if there are any words that hold enough strength to actually help. Words, are simply not enough. There are no answers to why bad things happen to good people. None. Oh, we may try and come up with answers, but ultimately they always seem to be a little hollow.
It is in days like this that we realize that our faith in Jesus Christ is just that: faith. It’s a matter of trust. Of simply believing that something is true because somehow in our hearts — our spirit — we sense that it is true. It’s holding on to something that ultimately cannot be proved or debated or rationalized into reality. It’s faith.
I had to walk that journey of faith a number of years ago when my daughter K.D. passed away. Do I truly believe what I say I believe?
This morning, and throughout the next few days, I invite all who read my blog to say a quick prayer for Wayne, Julie, and their entire family, that God would help them walk out their faith in a very real way. May his hand of comfort rest on them during these difficult days.
