Blessed Be The Name
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“The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” Job 1:21
“God is good all the time. All the time God is good.” He spoke these words at the funeral of his son. He thanked everyone for coming and then spoke his faith – what he believed and lived. God was still good, and God was still faithful. God healed his son perfectly in Heaven.
I do not understand why God allowed his son to lay in bed for two and a half years after his stroke. I know many people, along with myself, prayed for him to wake up and be physically healed. When I visited Will and spoke his name, I believe he heard me. His dad’s voice was the most familiar because he heard it every day. He also heard His Heavenly Father’s voice. God never left him. God was still there. God was still good.
She was full of life and joy and gave everything she had to those she loved and served. She loved Jesus, her family, flowers, the church, her friends, and she made life special for everyone she touched with her spirit. She was in charge of her family. Her smile brightened every place she entered. She made you feel special when she said, “You’re who I wanted to see.” Heaven is brighter now. Jesus is who she wanted to see.
Two funerals in two days. Both families have been friends for years and connected to the same church and many of the same people. That was where my relationship with both began in the church. Our foundation was Jesus. We were blessed by God for our paths to cross and walk together in faith. I was blessed at the funerals to not only give thanks for two special people, but to reconnect to my past and to so many people with whom I have shared life. While loss is difficult and filled with sadness and hurt and funerals are not where you want to be, it brings together people who have shared in relationship with one another. We had not been together because of changes in locations, churches, jobs, and just drifting away from one another because of life circumstances.
Funerals bring us together. We hurt for the family that has lost their loved one, and we come to provide comfort, support, and grieve our own loss. We want the family to know we care and love them and that their loved ones made a difference in our life and had purpose. Their name, when spoken, brings a flood of memories and gratefulness. Funerals are sad, but we make the effort to show respect for a life that has been present in our own lives. We recognize the hole a person leaves in this world. Funerals represent respect for a life lived.
I give thanks for the gift of life. Even in grief and sadness when death makes no sense and I cannot understand the why, I trust God. Death never makes sense. Death is the result of the brokenness and sin of this world. Death brings fear, anger, loneliness, pain and a myriad of emotions and feelings. Death is a part of life we do not talk about or want to deal with. We cannot avoid it, but we try. Funerals force us to the face the reality of death and that everyone will die.
We will always grieve and miss our loved ones. They leave a hole in our hearts that nobody else can fill. Love never dies. You just learn to live forward with grief and the hope of being reunited in Heaven. Even in grief, we can praise God and know God has blessed our lives with their presence for as many days God granted to them.
One of the blessings Linda and Will gave at their funerals was bringing together friendships. “You’re who I wanted to see.” The hugs, tears and laughter filled my heart with blessings. It was touching to look around and see people reunited who had not been together in years. We gathered in the name of Jesus. Jesus connected our hearts. Even in the heartache of loss, we were filled with joy to see one another. We mingled our sorrow with joy and blessings. The blessing was the gathering of friends and loved ones to celebrate God’s love in the life of his children. We celebrated that they are now with Jesus – the One they wanted to see.
I always hear, “Why does it take a funeral to bring us together?” It is when we slow down and remember and realize how short life is, and we reflect on a life that touched our own life. Memories of interactions and the shared experiences fill our thoughts. We give thanks to God for bringing good out of the bad and praise the name of the Lord for creating us to be in relationship. We need to let go of the struggles and pain and remind ourselves that God is good. We bless the name of the Lord and trust Him. The grief does not go away, but we know who walks with us in the pain and sorrow. Just trust Jesus.
But some people stay in the hurt and anger and even at funerals when they gather, hold grudges of bitterness and do not extend grace. Family turmoil continues even in death. To me, funerals remind each of us, nobody bypasses death. We will all die. Life is short. Let go of the resentment and grudge, give grace and forgive. Blessed be the name of the Lord who dies for our sins and overcomes death. Because of Jesus, death is not the end. Jesus gives us forgiveness and eternal life with Him.
Because Will and Linda gave their hearts and lives to Jesus, they have eternal life. While they served faithfully, they did not earn Heaven. It was through the grace of Jesus they received their reward of Heaven. They are living in Heaven and healed and whole. This gives us hope and comfort in our sorrow and grief. Death is not the end, but it is the beginning of life in Heaven. God is good. All the time God is good.
