A living hope

This weekend was a heavy one.  There are several people from different parts of my life who are mourning the loss or sickness of their babies right now.  Miscarriage, infant death, aggressive cancer.  All of sweet little ones.

I sat face to face with a dear friend who recounted her recent miscarriage to me.  It brought back burning memories of my own similar loss. It was a vulnerable and heartbreaking conversation...one that can only be had with someone who's been through the same tragedy that you have.

At the end of the weekend I sat back and just had thoughts I honestly didn't want to wrestle with.  How do you explain things like this? Not even to other people, but just to myself?

The fact of the matter is that this world is sinful and broken in terrible ways.  But what Jesus did changes everything.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.  In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." - 1 Peter 1:3-7  

Truly, in the core of me, it's the only thing I can cling to when the world is dark.  We're never promised a suffer-free life.  But Jesus dying for us has conquered death and sickness.  It still happens, but it's been overcome. We still grieve and hurt and cry.  But because there is heaven, and Jesus has made that possible for us, we have comfort knowing that death doesn't separate us if we know Him.  He is a living hope.  One that is untouchable and everlasting.  I love the sound of that.