Pain and Loss

On July 24^th, 2013, my cousin Joe Sweeney passed away. He left behind a wife and children. Currently my family is mourning for a loss that weighs on their hearts. I am also in this category. I have not seen my cousin for about 10 years, but I remember the joy and even the trouble he would bring when I was little lol. I also know that he was very loved by my family and I know how close my family is in the North and I know that they are all feeling pain. My heart breaks along with them and my prayers will continue to go out for them.

          

  Losing a loved one is traumatic and there is no word to describe the pain and heartache that follows. While the world continues to turn, it seems that your world suddenly stops. When my best friend, and who I still consider my brother Devon Monivis, passed away, my world again froze. People would offer their sincerest apologies but their lives would continue to move on. The fact of the matter is that loss happens every day, from the controversial death/murder of Trayvon Martin to the person who just died of starvation in Africa with the ending of this sentence. Death plagues our society. Yes, some of it is natural; however, much of it is not. There is too much murder, too many ‘accidents’, too many rapes, too many drug overdoses, and too much violence. There is too much pain, and yet, while all of these things happen, the world moves on virtually unaware of the morbid reality that millions (if not a couple of billion) face.

          

  Jesus calls us to mourn with those who are mourning. In order to mourn, one has to try to understand that pain. There are those ‘fake apologies’ that really bother me when a loss happens close to home. These are the ones who just say sorry for your loss like it’s an obligation. Then there are those who really put in effort to help bring comfort. They will cook you food, spend time with you, etc. Maybe the way that will help us to truly mourn with others is to place one of our loved ones in the shoes of the deceased. How would you feel if your child died of a drug overdose, how would you feel if there was a horrible car accident with someone you love in the car? What would you do if your mother or brother was dying from cancer? What would be your response if your newborn child suddenly died from some complication? Even with these thoughts, it is only a start to feeling the pain. No amount of imagination (unless you actually have experienced the same type of loss yourself) can come close to the reality of the pain. Yet, Jesus still tells us to stop and mourn with others. He does not want us to ignore the people dying in poverty; he does not want us to ignore the homeless or the drug attics. He wants us to be proactive and help them. He wants us to bring comfort to the hurting, healing to the sick, and clothing to the naked. So I encouraged you today, be aware of someone’s pain , pray for them and sincerely seek to love them.

           

  I also want to encourage those who are hurting at the moment of reading, comfort will come. Though the loss will always be there, the pain can be healed and love can fill that gaping hole. =)

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” –Mathew 5:4