My dad struggled with cancer for 10 years. He died while me, my wife and our children were travelling to visit him. And, I knew that dad died as soon as I saw the look on my sister’s face. Dad had suffered so much. He had been an athlete but had wasted away. David says, “The Lord’s anger is but for a moment; his favour is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning” (Psalm 30:5, NIV). Inwardly, I wanted to cry. But as a young clergyman, I felt the need to express with a dry eye my confidence in Jesus Christ and His Resurrection.
I felt that I have grown in maturity since then. I realized that I found God’s comfort when I allow myself to mourn. In time, God “will wipe every tear from (our) eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away” as the Bible says (Revelation 21:4, NIV). But in this world, we have many occasions for tears. Through our tears, the Saviour’s words echo – “I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you” (John 14:18, NIV).
I also remembered how I felt how my children needed to hear Jesus' promise of eternal life. I believe that God’s time may not come as quickly as we would like, but the pain of sorrow diminishes and leaves behind blessed memories.
Profile Background:
Bill Hunter – (New York, U.S.A), Upper Room Ministries
Prayer Response to this featured article:
Pray, we thank God for reassuring us the comfort we need in times of our mourning & for us to offer the comfort to those all who mourn & for God to comfort them too.
(Written by Bill Hunter – (New York, U.S.A), the unrecalled date/year of published time from Upper Room Ministries)
