Have you ever lost a good friend or loved one unexpectedly?
I have.
Just last week.
One of my closest friends from college and the years beyond, Laura, went from this world to the next. After a battle with the “c” word (a disease I will not even speak or write), she burst forth from time into eternity.
Heaven. A place of no pain. No tears. Unconditional love. And more peace and joy and incomprehensible beauty than any of us could ever imagine.
I hope her first moments in heaven were like the popular photo of a woman with a big, bright smile hugging Jesus tightly like there’s no tomorrow. But there will be an eternity of tomorrows for her in heaven.
Jesus joyfully greets her. Welcome home!
My friend Laura leaves behind an amazing husband and two kids. And a large extended family. And a whole lot of friends.
If you have lost a friend or family member, you may want to read my blog post about dealing with grief and loss and my book, Praying with Power When Life Gets Tough.
This side of heaven we live with the mystery of God’s ways. Why does He do what He does? Why didn’t God stop her disease or her passing?
Why, Lord, why?
We may not always understand His ways, but the One who loves us most gives us HOPE.
Wild hope.
Hope that believes that God knows what He is doing even when we do not. That his ways are higher, but for our ultimate good.
Hope that goes beyond expectations.
Despite hard things, and in the midst of tough times, you can trust God. He has more for you than you can ask or imagine—and His power is at work within you.
Even when you do not understand.
Wild hope is planting seeds of faith and expecting orchards of blessings. It’s courageous and expectant—and celebratory—knowing that your great expectations aren’t too large for the great, big God we serve.
We can have this kind of hope because Jesus Christ lived, died and rose again glorious and alive! For you. For me. He is our true Hope. Unpredictable? Yes. Unexpected? Certainly.
He goes beyond—far beyond—what we can imagine, and leads us into a future we never could’ve dreamed of.
So in times of defeat, doubt or discouragement, we pray. In times of joy and victory, we pray. And trust the God of abundance, the God of so much more.
We may sow with tears, but we will reap with armloads of joy! One day. Maybe soon.
Harvest time is coming.