Heaven on the Horizon

By Elizabeth M. Thompson

 

Brothers we do not want you to…grieve like the rest of men who have no hope.

1 Thessalonians 4:13

 

Our hope of heaven profoundly affects how we grieve. Without heaven on the horizon, we would have reason for intense, inconsolable grief and even despair. Instead, the death of a believer is bittersweet—we know that our loved one is with the Lord, Jesus Christ and we have a holy longing for that nearness to the One we love the most.

 

We also have a void in our life—a place in our heart that our loved one filled that now stands vacant, like a handless glove. Though we don’t grieve as though our beloved is forever lost, we still grieve. We grieve our daily connection. We grieve the touch of our loved one, the sound of his voice, the joy she brought us. We still grieve, but not the pathetic sorrow of hopelessness.

 

Ours is a grief infused with hope—hope that our beloved is in the presence of Jesus, hope that we will one day join him in heaven and hope for a reunion more joyful than we could imagine.

 

Lord, because of you I have hope! Thank you for giving me hope for an eternity with you and with my loved one. I am forever grateful. Amen