"Unspeakable Grief": A Brief Departure From Prophecy

The term "unspeakable grief" comes from a chapter in Max Lucado's book "Facing Your Giants". I'll come back to quotes from that chapter in a few minutes.

Unfortunately, this description of grief characterizes what a family is experiencing tonight, following the tragic, accidental death of their beloved son. Not just any family, but a very special family who is loved by everyone who has the fortune of knowing them - and you can count my family in that category.

Their son is quite unique: Bright, energetic, gregarious, loving, kind and compassionate are just a few of the words you will hear describing his personality. He is with Jesus now and enjoying everything God has to offer in a paradise called heaven. We will miss him dearly, but his departure represents a brief separation - we know that a reunion is rapidly approaching.

(note: I will speak of him in the presence tense, as I do with all Christians who have gone to heaven. There is no death with our brothers and sisters in Christ; they are simply in heaven, so I refuse to discuss such people in the past tense)

This untimely death however forces us to face many questions - questions that cannot be ignored. One of the more popular questions is "Why do bad things happen to good people?"

In this context, one of the most common follow-up questions relates to how God can "allow" such tragedies to occur - why God can "allow" something so fundamentally horrible as the death of a child.

I've been searching for those answers. I also hope this column can somehow provide some reflection and comfort based on the scriptures and authors whose capabilities far exceed mine.

Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People?

You get the idea. Now, let’s take the most gut-wrenching example, the death of a child, and see if together we can’t make better sense of why God would allow the bad to exist.

Why would God allow that? Why would God allow a child to lose his or her little life?

From God’s perspective, that life is not lost. God is able to restore to that child their life, so no loss is suffered on the part of the child. Life is not lost to the One who can restore it.

What about the grief that parents and family experience?

In our loss, the presence of God is available for us to experience His strength, His comfort, His sustaining love and assurance... God sustains those who grieve for those He calls to Himself.

Max Lucado devotes a chapter in his book "Fearless" to this topic (Chapter 5 if you have the book) - below are a few notable quotes:

God has a heart for hurting parents. Should we be surprised? After

all, God himself is a father.

What parental emotion has he not felt? Are

you separated from your child? So was God. Is someone mistreating your

child? They mocked and bullied his. Is someone taking advantage of your

children? The Son of God was set up by false testimony and betrayed by

a greedy follower. Are you forced to watch while your child suffers? God

watched his son on the cross. Do you find yourself wanting to spare your

child from all the hurt in the world? God did. But because of his great

love for us, “he did not spare his own Son but gave him for us all. So with

Jesus, God will surely give us all things” (Rom. 8:32 ncv).

“All things” must include courage and hope.

Some of you find the story of Jairus difficult to hear. You prayed the

same prayer he did, yet you found yourself in a cemetery facing every

parent’s darkest night: the death of your child. No pain compares. What

hope does the story of Jairus offer to you? Jesus resurrected Jairus’s

child. Why didn’t he save yours?

God understands your question. He buried a child too. He hates

death more than you do. That’s why he killed it. He “abolished death

and brought life and immortality to light” (2 Tim. 1:10). For those who

trust God, death is nothing more than a transition to heaven. Your child

may not be in your arms, but your child is safely in his.

We tend to forget this fact, regarding our children as “our” children,

as though we have the final say in their health and welfare. We don’t.

All people are God’s people, including the small people who sit at our

tables. Wise are the parents who regularly give their children back to

God.

Also from Max Lucado, we turn to quotes from "Facing Your Giants" and the chapter entitled "Unspeakable Grief":

Face your grief with tears, time and - one more - face your grief with truth. Paul urged the Thessalonians to grieve, but he didn't want the Christians to "carry on over them like people who have nothing to look forward to, as if the grave were the last word" (1 Thessalonians 4:13).

God has the last word on death. And, if you listen, he will tell you the truth about your loved ones. They've been dismissed from the hospital called Earth. You and I still roam the halls, smell the medicines, and eat green beans and Jell-O off plastic trays. They, meanwhile, enjoy picnics, inhale springtime, and run through knee-high flowers. You miss them like crazy, but can you deny the truth?

They have no pain, doubt, or struggle. They really are happier in Heaven.

And you won't see them soon?

When you drop your kids off at school, do you weep as though you'll never see them again? When you drop your spouse at the store and park the car, do you bid a final forever farewell? No.

When you say, "I'll see you soon," you mean it.

When you stand in the cemetery and stare down at the soft, freshly turned earth and promise, I'll see you soon, you speak truth. Reunion is a splinter of an eternal moment away.

There is no need for you to "grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope" (1 Thessalonians 4:13 NIV)

So go ahead, face your grief. Give yourself time. Permit yourself tears. God understands. He knows the sorrow of the grave. he buried his son. But He also knows the joy of resurrection. And, by his power, you will too.

It's always good to remember that God fully understands our grief. But as we experience grief and (temporary) loss - we have to remember that God also provides hope and an eternal future with our loved ones in Christ. It's a guarantee.

What do the scriptures have to say?

"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 have passed away."

(Revelation 21:4)

"Give your burdens to the Lord.

He will carry them.

He will not permit the Godly to slip or fall."

(Psalm 55:22)

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.

For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed,

we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven,

not built by human hands.

For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because

we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly

dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are

at home in the body we are away from the Lord.

We live by faith, not by sight.

We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body

and at home with the Lord."

(1 Corinthians 4:18 and 5:1-9)

When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable,

and the mortal man with immortality, then the saying that is

written will come true:

"Death has been swallowed up in victory"

"Where, O death, is your victory?

Where, O death, is your sting?"

(1 Corinthians 15:54-55)

We are all awaiting the most epic reunion imaginable. A reunion that has been carefully planned by God - a reunion that will be filled with great joy and celebration.

We prophecy watchers know this reunion will be coming very very soon. There is no such thing as "death" for a Christian. We relocate to a far far better place - a place called heaven. A place that our loved ones - (those who have gone ahead of us) - are currently experiencing - the wonders of the universe and beyond. A place where our loved ones are in the very presence of Jesus Himself - at this very moment.

Blake is experiencing all of these wonders at this very moment.

He is with Jesus at this very moment.

He has no pain, no tears, no fears, no anguish and absolutely no hardships whatsoever.

None.

Rather, he is experiencing unimaginable peace and joy. He is in the very arms of Jesus Himself.

As Max Lucado so eloquently stated:

"For those who trust God, death is nothing more than a transition to heaven. Your child may not be in your arms, but your child is safely in His."

Amen.

Nothing can completely extinguish the pain and grieving that the family of this beloved child is experiencing at this moment.

But God has given us hope and assurances. We know without a doubt that this family will be reunited in heaven - for eternity.

And when that magical moment happens (and as stated, we prophecy watchers believe this moment will be very very soon), Blake will be there - waiting with open arms - waiting for his family - ready to show them the joys of paradise that he is experiencing right now.

We love you Blake; we will see you soon.