New Address — Grateful, yet Grieving
There’s a routine I have when I get my mail. I make piles; the mail I need to open, the mail to throw away, and the mail that I have to look at before I throw away. Yesterday, one piece of mail caught me off guard, it had my husband’s name on it. It was an envelope, and I couldn’t tell whether it was junk or not. Seeing his name on the envelope was strange and unsettling. As I tossed the envelope in the trash, I thought of something else. I thought the name is correct, but the address isn’t. He doesn’t live here anymore. He has a new address.
I just finished reading the book, “Imagine Heaven” by John Burke. The book gives vivid accounts of people who have had near-death experiences and gone to heaven. From the reports of people who had glimpsed heaven, the author aligns it using Scripture to accurately describe heaven; the scents, the colors, and the beauty all beyond what we see on earth. Pastor and author, John Piper says, “heaven is a place of unparalleled and indescribable joy.”
As I was reading the book, I felt like I was getting a preview of a trip that I’ll be taking someday. After reading the book, I felt like I had a clearer picture of where my husband is now in his new home. I miss him every day, but my grief gives me hope beyond this life. I Thessalonians 4:13, (NIV) “we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.” Grief and hope can cohabitate.
When I was young there was a song, we sang in Sunday School that has these words “this world is not my home, I’m just passing through, my treasure and my hope is placed beyond the blue.” The promise of a new home awaits where our loved ones are. The promise of where we’ll see Jesus and experience life evermore.
