My Grandma Just Died

“Man who is born of woman is few of days and full of trouble. He comes out like a flower and withers; he flees like shadow and continues not.” – Job 14:1-2

My grandma just died. Life is so short and so fragile. Despite all the great mercies of medical knowledge and technology, life cannot always be maintained. Death still reigns in this world. Everyone will eventually die. There is no getting around it. Pain and suffering exist in this world. They will continue to exist until Jesus comes again. However, because of Jesus, death, pain & suffering take on new meaning. Death is not the end. The sting was removed by Jesus’ death. Death can now be embraced, rather than feared. It is the way to God. My grandma is in the presence of Jesus right now and I can’t think of a better place to be. Pain and suffering can be endured because our hope is in Jesus. We know that this life is not everything. Right now, we are but mist, eventually, we will be living forever in the service of our King and God. I do not deny the raw feelings of death or suffering. It is real and painful, but our pain is not pointless. God is doing a marvelous work in us through it. Embrace it and ask God for eyes to see and ears to hear. That is my prayer in my moment of pain. “O God, use this to mold me more into your likeness.”