This is not the end here at this grave....

November was a trying and difficult month for my family. My grandpa (mom's dad) passed away on Nov. 15th. In the midst of my sadness, there was an overflowing amount of joy that filled my heart. It is hard knowing that I won't hear Grandpa's voice calling my name or I won't be able to hear him tell me to "Be a good girl and follow after Jesus", like he always did when we were saying goodbye. But there was this joy that over shadowed the pain and loss. The joy in knowing that Grandpa is breathing Heaven's air! He's meeting Jesus! He's healed and whole!!

It reminded me of 1 Corinthians 15. Death has NO victory! Grandpa is in the place that he always wanted to be. One verse that my family clung to during those hours after Grandpa passed away, and still cling to is 1 Thessalonians 4:13,14 which says, "Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him."
In the midst of the pain we know with all our hearts that we have HOPE in knowing we will see Grandpa again. For those who know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior,the end is not at the grave but death is just a start to spending an eternity with Jesus.

An Andrew Peterson song called "More" was a comfort to my family in those days after Grandpa passed away. We listened to the song as we drove 30 miles in the processional to the country cemetery where Grandpa would be buried. We watched the hearse carry Grandpa to his grave but knowing with everything in us that THIS IS NOT THE END!!

This is not the end here at this grave
This is just a hole that someone made
Every hole was made to fill
And every heart can feel it still--
Our nature hates a vacuum

This is not the hardest part of all
This is just the seed that has to fall
All our lives we till the ground
Until we lay our sorrows down
And watch the sky for rain

There is more
More than all this pain
More than all the falling down
And the getting up again
There is more
More than we can see
From our tiny vantage point
In this vast eternity
There is more

A thing resounds when it rings true
Ringing all the bells inside of you
Like a golden sky on a summer eve
Your heart is tugging at your sleeve
And you cannot say why
There must be more

There is more
More than we can stand
Standing in the glory
Of a love that never ends
There is more
More than we can guess
More and more, forever more
And not a second less

There is more than what the naked eye can see
Clothing all our days with mystery
Watching over everything
Wilder than our wildest dreams
Could ever dream to be
There is more

I hope and pray that everyone can have this hope that we have. If you don't know for sure I would love to share with you how you can too have an overwhelming peace in all circumstances. Don't be afraid to email or message me.