Death comes for us all. But this is not a reality we keep on the forefront of our minds as we live life. And this can leave our world turned upside down when death enters into our day as an unexpected guest.
On the one hand, we’re stopped in our tracks. Nothing will ever be the same again, and we’re reminded of just how fleeting time is and how fragile we are. And, if we could, we would stop time to allow our souls to catch up with this new reality – a life with our loved one no longer here. But time does not stop and we must keep doing the next thing.
This makes death often both unexpected and unwelcome. It doesn’t come on our terms and makes many demands of us that we cannot ignore. We’re forced to pay attention and give it its due even when this is the last thing we want to do.
Knowing this day is coming, we do well to come to terms with this reality as best as we can, though nothing can fully prepare us for this day. And so we yell, groan, and weep when this day does come. We allow our souls to grieve the reality of death in this world. But we grieve as those with hope.
While death might be an unexpected visitor, it doesn’t get to set up a permanent residence in our story. Christ has conquered death and will destroy this last enemy as well. And his peace, comfort, and very presence will go with us as we walk through the shadows of death.
In the end, weep and grieve when death makes an unexpected visit. And remember to invite the comfort and presence of the One who conquered death into your story as well.
Photo by César Abner Martínez Aguilar on Unsplash
