It’s amazing how life can change in an instant – one minute you’re world is familiar and comfortable, the next, it is shattered around you. Death comes to us all and at the most unexpected times, but we are never prepared to face life without a loved one.

No matter where we are in our walk with God, our faith is tested, our strength fails and our hearts are heavy. There are no answers to the countless questions running through our minds and we feel lost and alone. Let me assure you, we are never alone. God is often present during our darkest hours, even if we feel He is far away. Matthew 5:4 tells us “blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted”. While death rarely feels like a blessing, we can take hope in the knowledge we will be comforted.

When my 16 year old daughter lost her valiant battle with leukemia, I never believed I could survive the pain. Jennifer’s favorite verse had always been Phil 4:13 – I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, and it became my lifeline. I repeated it a thousand times a day, clinging to the promise that He was stronger than my weakness. All the hopes and dreams that changed the day my daughter earned her wings, became anchored in His promise in Isaiah 40:31 – but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint.

Praise God for His goodness and mercy.