gut-wrenching pain to a ministry that reaches out to hurting people in different journeys of loss and pain. Nancy’s full tes- timony can be seen in the new DVD series by Grief Care Fellowship entitled, “Why? – What If – If Only”. So, where are you in your journey of loss? Have you allowed your pain to stifle your encouraging emotions? Are you caught in that circle of “why” questions? It is so vital to realize that even in the Bible God does not always answer the “why” ques- tions. However, what He does provide is the promise of hope beyond today. WHAT HE DOES PROVIDE IS THE PROMISE OF HOPE BEYOND TODAY. You and I may never understand the reason for an expected or unexpected loss. We live in an imperfect world with imperfect people and imperfect circumstances. We are reminded by our Lord in Matthew 5:45 that the “rain falls on the just and the unjust”. We live in a world where living life means a full spectrum of emotions from the very best to the very worst. As believers we have one powerful truth to cling to that a nonbeliever does not have... we know God knows all the questions, and He has all the answers! He may choose not to reveal His sovereign purposes to us, but He does not leave us with the daunting questions of “why”, “what if” and “if only”. What He does give to us is His peace and comfort in the midst of turmoil. We have the promise of the Holy Spirit, our Comforter (John 14:16, 26), and in John 14:27 He says, “Peace I leave you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid”. When we don’t understand, when we fear the unknown, or we question
the goodness of God, we can know finding our ultimate peace is drawing near and trusting in Him to get us through. One of the great encouragements I love to share in tragic circumstances, when there seemingly are no reasonable answers to the pain, is from 2 Peter 2:11. We are reminded here and in the Old Testament that as believers we are just “sojourners” here on this earth; we are just passing through. The Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:1-16 said that this world is not our home. In our pain and heartache we need to remember that living life here on this earth is not the final “home” we have. Ours is a Heavenly Home, one our Lord has pre- pared for us, and it is awaiting us. We know that the troubles, heartache and pain of this life are but temporal. A second great encouragement is the truth that if your loved one was a believer, we will one day be reunited in glory. The Apostle Paul further shares in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 that we do not grieve as others who have no hope... for we shall see our loved one again... and we shall forever be with our Lord. When we realize the pain of this life is temporal, we can catch a glimpse of glory and of heaven. Yes, it hurts. Yes, it is real. But as believers we have the greater hope beyond today, a living and lasting hope – the assurance of living with our loved one in glory. One final thought and encouragement is that for you as you walk this journey called grief, Grief Care Fellowship has developed several DVD series and some other mate- rials that are available online. Please do not hesitate to connect with us; we would like the opportunity to minister to you. Additionally, we have a Facebook page – Grief Care Fellowship - where we post a daily thought of encouragement to get you
Fran Welch
Fran ('78) is the author/teacher of Journey in Grief Care and the curriculum consultant for Grief Care Fellowship. He has a degree in Biblical Counseling and has been the Minister of Care at a large Baptist church for over 10 years. He has helped thousands of grieving people and held over 250 funerals. He is an instructor of grief teams and grief seminars. Pat ('78), his wife, helps to edit the grief material and is an author and writer of ladies' Bible studies.
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