25 years ago today….

25 years ago today my mother’s earthly body was destroyed.  Her groaning was over.  For those of us who have lived on these last 25 years there has been plenty of groaning.  For 8 years after my mum died my groaning was mainly against God, I was angry, how could he let this happen?  Seeing a loved one struggle and die of cancer is a horrible thing at any age, but I was a teenager and my mum was only in her 40’s.  Something changed after 8 years that meant I was no longer angry with God, when I understood what He had done for me in giving his only Son to die for me, how could I question his loving purposes.  He gave me a peace that has not left me, but the groaning continues.  Even in the happy times, there’s a sadness that she’s not there to share in the joys.  But now my groaning is with hope.

The Apostle Paul wrote, “Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.” (2 Corinthians 5:1)

Paul says our present bodies are like tents!  Now camping is good fun – when the weather is good, and only for a short time, as we face the wet, the wind and the cold, would you rather be in a tent or a building? God says that our present bodies are like tents – they are weak and temporary. Our present bodies are weak, but look what God says we look forward to – a building! An eternal house in heaven.

It certainly helps to know death is not the end, and that actually for those trusting in Jesus as my mum was, the best is yet to come.  But what do we do while we wait, do we just smile and pretend everything is ok? No, Paul says, now is the time for groaning:

“Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.” (2 Corinthians 5:2-4)

Life in this fallen world is good at times, but so much makes us groan, whether it’s sickness, bereavement, or just the everyday struggles.  We groan, because we were made for something better. A Heavenly dwelling. Joni Earekson Tada had a diving accident when she was 17 and has been left unable to walk and suffered greatly in many ways, in her book “When God weeps” she writes this “Earth’s pain keeps crushing our hopes, reminding us this world can never satisfy; only heaven can.”

The Bible teaches us that when a Christian dies, their spirit goes straight to be with Jesus in heaven, we are safe.   We put off our bodies, but that’s not the end.  God says that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. When Jesus returns as He promised He would do, He will return as judge, and for all those who have turned to Him as Saviour and Lord, He will raise our bodies and they will be swallowed up into a new resurrection body!

A body that won’t get sick, a body that won’t have cancer, a body that won’t die. A body that’s more like a building than a tent.  A body fit to enjoy the new creation and to enjoy being with God and his people forever. No more painful separations. That transforms the anniversary of a loved one.  There is still sadness, but death is not the end.  Now is the time for groaning, the best is yet to come.

Does that sound too good to be true? Thankfully it’s not just wishful thinking by a son grieving the loss of a mother.  2 Corinthians 5v5 tells us that Christians are given the Holy Spirit as a guarantee. When we trust in Jesus we have the Holy Spirit living inside us as a promise of the life that is to come.  He has given me a peace that the world cannot give and a hope that is out of this world!  

And more than that, Jesus rose physically from the dead and was seen by many eye-witnesses, and all who trust Him will also be raised. Jesus said “I am the resurrection and the life, whoever believes in me will live even though he dies.” 

Now is the time for groaning, and it is hard, but my mum is safe with Jesus and one day her mortal remains will be swallowed up by life. 

Here’s the next few verses of 2 Corinthians 5:

“Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.”

25 years have gone, I would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord, away from the groaning, but I also love the family and friends He has given me and enjoy the work He’s given me while I wait.  So I make it my goal to please Him while I wait and continue to groan.

Linked to this post:

A Helpful Bereavement Prayer can be found here.

Reflections from 24th Anniversary can be read here.

A sermon on honouring your parents where I shared some of what I learnt from my mum can be listened to here.

If you would like to talk about bereavement please don’t hesitate to get in contact here.