Then Jesus wept. John 11:35 (NLT)
As I stood there in the middle of the the second Memorial Service in a month, I felt numb. I watched the people cry around me and I didn't respond much. My brain was telling me that Jesus will come again and this would all go away. I kept thinking about the hope that the cross brings to us and how important it is to know that during this time. It helped me hold on.
Then, after the service was over, after the lunch, on the long drive home, I sobbed. I sobbed and sobbed because of the pain I knew everyone was going through. I sobbed because children shouldn't have to bury their 'too young to die' mother. I sobbed because mothers shouldn't have to bury their daughters and husband their wives way before it was time. And I sobbed for my loss as well.
After the sobbing I pondered the fact that we were not created for this. We were created to live forever and because of sin, we don't. And I longed for the day when Jesus will come so there will be no more tears. And I was comforted with the fact that Jesus wept when Lazarus died. Jesus also knew that this was not what we were supposed to be doing. He knew that there is a better life ahead and that he would hold the key to that life. Yet he wept anyway. He wept because he could feel the pain around him and his tender heart broke.
As we drove home, I was comforted with the fact that my Lord and Savior also felt this pain and expressed it. I was also comforted with the knowledge that he will come again and take us home to a place where we won't have to say good-bye to people we love ever again.
Until then, J-9, until then.....