This is a harder one for me to write. It’s personal. It hits close to home, it’s about my beautiful Grandma Grasel. She passed away in May of this year and there are times when I miss her with a sadness like I said goodbye yesterday.
She was amazing and I was really close with her. My cousins, Jess and Maria, and I had spent every Monday evening with her for the past seven years. But what a gift that was, all the time we had with her. But it doesn’t feel like enough time. It never will.
But my purpose in writing this today, is a reminder as much for myself, as I hope for you. If you have lost a loved one or loved ones, there are some Biblical truths that we can hold on to every day and especially on days we find ourselves grieving again, missing them, and wishing we could spend more time with them.
Last week, I shared how God had led met to speak at my grandma’s funeral and how when God leads you, He will equip you. Today, I want to share a piece of that speech from her funeral and some powerful Biblical truths we all can hold on to when we find ourselves grieving our Christian loved ones who are resting with Him.
Here is a snippet of the speech for my Grandma Grasel:
..”I am grateful for all of the time I’ve had with her. That we all have had.
But I know it doesn’t feel like enough. It never will. With someone like her, there is never enough time to be spent. Everyone who knew her wished they had more time with her. But what a testament that is to her character – how compassionate, how patient, how selfless, how loving she was.
I’ve mentioned a lot about how much she loved each of us. But that is so evident and it starts with that. Thinking back on her life – there is no question she loved all of us with everything she had- and we’re told in 1 John 4:19 which says “We love because He first loved us.”
We love because Christ first loved us.
She loved us, because He first loved her.
And we love her, because He first loved us.
And it all goes back to Him, to Christ, our Creator, Our Savior. We can’t talk about her life without talking about the One who created her and chose her for each of us. He chose her to be your mom, He chose her to be your mother-in-law, your sister, your sister-in-law. He chose her to be our grandma and great-grandma.
But in that, in His choosing her, in His giving her to us – she was ours. But she was His first.
She’s ours, but she is His first.
What comfort there is in knowing she’s His. Knowing she’s with Him, in the presence of the Lord Almighty. And the comfort knowing we’re going to see her again! We’re told in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.”
And Jesus Himself tells us in John 11:25 – the verse says this: “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.”
We will see her and know her again! And grandpa. And Scott. At the promised resurrection. And I cannot wait.
May we each go forward from now and continue her foundation of faith and family with each other and each of our individual families.
May we be as compassionate to each other like she was. May we forgive each other like she did. May we be as kind and selfless in our action like she was. And may we love each other, like she did.
And may we love Christ, as she taught us, and as He first loved us.
The speech in it’s entirety can be found here if you wish to watch it. It is about 17 minutes into the video.
"We love because He first loved us." 1 John 4:19
Your loved one and loved ones – you loved them because Christ first loved you.
I loved my grandma because Christ first loved me. And she loved me because Christ first loved her. It is right there in 1 John 4:19 “We love because He first loved us.”
You can go forward in two simultaneous ways, even as you grieve and miss your loved ones who have fallen asleep in Christ. First, you will see them again, as I will see my grandma again. You will know them again, as I will know my grandma. At the promised resurrection. And that truth right there changes everything.
And you might have to remind yourself of that truth, that you will see them again. John 11:25 “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.” This verse is so powerful and those are Jesus’ own words. “..though he die, yet shall he live.” “Yet shall he live.” Oh my goodness, the truth in those verses right there take your grief from a overwhelming worldly perspective, to an Eternal perspective. And it’s transforming as you let those Words sink in.
Lastly, as you go forward and continue to love those God has placed around you, stand on that solid truth that you love them because Christ first loved you. There is a settling peace that comes with grabbing hold of that truth. When you look at your family, your children, your friends – what a gift they are, and you love them because Christ first loved you.
May you be encouraged to dive into His Word, and hold on to God’s promises and love those around you as Christ first loved you.
Thank you Lisa for your vulnerability, faith, truth, and love! Keep shining your glorious light!!!