‘Death is not the end’
(This written piece is something that I wrote shortly after the passing of my grandmother in April 2019, reflecting on the sudden loss and the void of a life of someone loved no longer being there.)
It’s been 2 days since my grandma’s passing.
The emotional ups and downs (as expected) of dealing with her passing on from her worldly home to an Eternal One have been a re-occurrence the past 2 days
I have experienced people passing away, but it is as if this time around, the blow on me has been more severe.
In these early days, I am so thankful that I am surrounded not just by my natural family, but also my church family.
I think it is so significant that her passing is basically at a time which Easter Weekend is a week away (at the time of me writing this).
Easter in Christianity is when we as Christians celebrate that although Jesus (God in full human form) died at the hands of man, but was raised three days later from death, for the purpose of overcoming the curse of death and grave for all time.
Contemplating the fact that the funeral is on the Saturday (also known as Still / Silent Saturday in some church traditions) between Good Friday (commemorating Jesus’s death), and Resurrection Sunday (celebrations all around) , is actually something amazing, and like with the time leading up to my grandma moving to her new Home, the theme of God’s Grace threading through it all.
For even though there will be sadness, like with Jesus dying before his mother’s eyes, with John trying to console her, at the same time experience emotions of grief, even anger and seeing his friend with whom a friendship was formed for a period of 1095 days suffer in death) at the grave site , when we lay her earthly remains to rest, the prospect is there that SUNDAY IS COMING when we are reminded the stronghold of death and sin has been has been put to death by Jesus’ RESURRECTION.
“Why are you emphasizing RESURRECTION?”, you may ask:
I think one thing that stands out (and there are many more reasons why RESURRECTION stands out to me), is the fact that the story does not stop there. It was just in fact the birth of someone significant happened there. I Believe that this is a HOPE I can cling to, that my grandma’s death is just a runway to something amazing that God has still in store for us all.
Jesus said (of Himself), that if a grain of wheat does not fall into the ground and die, a harvest cannot come forth (my take on John 12:24).
I am a firm believer that this trial I am facing is not just personal, but things that I am learning from it, might be some blessing or to the advancement of someone else.
Maybe you are reading this, and you are in a space of (seeming) hopelessness… maybe even mourning the loss of someone close to you in the past couple of days.
I want to say to you, that even though it feels that the situation is continue to choke you up and feels like it’s the only thing you see and experience is a replay of the loss (of the one you loved whether it’s a grandparent, child, husband, wife, brother or sister), don’t let the situation overwhelm you and stop you living your life to your fullest.
The beauty that I have realised in the last couple of days, experiencing the realness of grief first hand, is that I made the choice to carry on with life and through living my life honouring and bringing homage to my grandmother, as she herself, strong woman she was, had to give up two husbands and a child to death, during her lifetime.
Just as Jesus’s life has been sown, for the salvation of all mankind, something that you give of yourself to others in the world (not necessarily life itself), you have a significance in someone’s life.
It might just be a kind word saying, “I am thinking of you…” or just as simplistic of buying a coffee for yourself and another random stranger and having a conversation with them.
Maybe that random stranger just needs a kind word.
That kind word might just be enough to steer that person’s life into a different trajectory altogether.
Loneliness is a symptom of our modern socially media-driven world. That sounds like an oxymoron but it’s truth: it is so easy to hide behind a screen and have all the right filters and effects on your holiday photos; which was just a cover for the reality of being alone.
Through that connection, the random person might just gain trust in humanity, after being rejected in their earlier life.
This is redemptive for loneliness, for depression love keeping company with loneliness, and the dark shadow of depression has a way of sucking all life and liveliness from a person.
May you be reminded this Easter, that the Cross does Equal Love; Jesus Loved You so much, in spite of the things that happened, your past mistakes that things will be set right; a life redeemed whilst He gave yours back to life fully and freely, by the rhythms of His Grace.
May this situation you are facing be a semi colon (;) that in literary use shows a continuation of a thought; may the “thought” be likened to your life and that there is life beyond Resurrection.
May the Grace of God be like a river stream, flowing through and intersecting through your life, and at a certain time you would flow into His river of Grace.
May you allow people into your situation, that they will surround you and protect and defend you, when the trial is at its fiercest.
May you also experience a peace and calmness that overwhelms your vulnerable, hurting heart, because of the loss of the loved one as Jesus Himself said that He is the Resurrection and the Life.
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