Reading Through The New Testament. September 19 2016. 1 Thessalonians 4

This year has been a year that I have really had to deal with death. Personally, I have had a few people that I’ve known pass away this year. An overdose, a tragic accident, and a heart failure. Some of my close friends have even dealt with even more death, mostly from those who were way too young to go. It seems empty, meaningless and hopeless. And yet, this chapter seems to talk about hope in the face of death.

There’s a hope that we will all be with the Lord together. The good thing about being a believer is that there is hope for eternity.

I must admit. I’m writing this reflection with doubt racing through my mind. I’m writing it thinking and questioning if some of my friends are even in heaven. I struggle with that. So to be honest, in my own struggle I can’t say that I can fully grasp the concept of eternity. I don’t understand a place where I can be joyful and at peace where some of my friends might be absent.

But there is one thing I can have hope in. I can know that I have no idea where anyone’s heart is actually at. I can have hope that my heart will be at peace, even if I can’t comprehend what that even means. I have hope that because I believe in a God that fulfills his promises. And even if I struggle with it, I still believe in it. And that’s okay.