I won't lie...

...death scares me so. I know that we are promised a life more abundant after death, but something about leaving loved ones behind leaves an empty place in my heart. I write this with tears in my eyes for a good friend of mine. This afternoon her grandfather died suddenly and unexpectedly while working outside. This is an absolute tragedy for their family, and it does truly break my heart. I'm reminded of CS Lewis' words on the passing of his cancer-stricken wife, Joy:

No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear. I am not afraid, but the sensation is like being afraid. The same fluttering in the stomach, the same restlessness, the yawning. I keep on swallowing. [...] There are moments, most unexpectedly, when something inside me tries to assure me that I don't really mind so much, not so very much, after all. Love is not the whole of a man's life. [...] People get over these things. Come, I shan't do so badly. One is ashamed to listen to this voice but it seems for a little to be making out a good case. Then comes a sudden jab of red-hot memory and all this "commonsense" vanishes like an ant in the mouth of a furnace.

- A Grief Observed

No one can offer comfort in times like these. I don't know how to; we don't know how to. I thank HIM that His word gives us the strength to utter the words we thought impossible.

Have you ever really thought about the "peace that surpasses all understanding" that Paul talks about? Sometimes verses are really easy to skim over, but take a closer look, and they become quite mind-boggling. Peace - peace that does not make sense. Peace that in the midst of horror and grief flows freely - that is peace that doesn't make sense. Peace that overcomes anger and depression - that is the peace that does not make sense. Thus, in my heart of hearts, I know that death has been overcome, and while the thought of it scares me, I know my God triumphs, reigns, and loves. He will wash away our fears.

My prayer is that she and her family are surrounded by an inexplicable peace.

Will you pray for her family today?