You are dying. So am I. So is every living thing. Dying is the nature of life. However, dying isn’t the end, it is a beginning. It is what many of us live for. You see in death we have life, life eternal with Jesus in heaven.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. -John 1:1-5

I now work in an industry where death waits at the edge of life. The past two weeks have brought with them more than 6 deaths just in the circle of people who touch my life. Today alone there were two. A young child and a grown woman. Both tragic and heart wrenching. One left with words unspoken, the other gave life in dying.

It is difficult to concentrate. Your mind swirling with the how’s, why’s, when’s, and who’s. How did it happen? Why did it happen? When? Who was there? How are those left to put the piece together doing? What can we do? Question falling over question and then silence. Deafening silence.

Life goes on and the world continues to spin for everyone else. Not for those in the midst of the loss. Life has come to an abrupt, unrecognizable halt. The edges blur, voices drone, hearts pound, and then numbness sets in. Nothing will ever be the same, and the time it takes to heal is interminable. There is hope…

‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Revelation 21:4-5

The end of the pain may not be in sight, or even seem realistic, yet one day it will be a bit easier, God knows the pain, He knows the heart, He knows you and what it will take to make life new. It won’t be normal like it was, it will be a new normal, it has to be, because it has changed. And we go on, living to die so that we will live again in Jesus. You are missed.